--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When books are opened, we discover that…" description: "\"When books are opened, we discover that we have wings\" — Helen Hayes" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b59/helen-hayes-12611_book_when-books-are-opened-we-discover-that-w_2510411.png" --- # When books are opened, we discover that we have wings ![“When books are opened, we discover that we have wings” quote by Helen Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b59/helen-hayes-12611_book_when-books-are-opened-we-discover-that-w_2510411.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b59/helen-hayes-12611_book_when-books-are-opened-we-discover-that-w_2510411.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b59/helen-hayes-12611_book_when-books-are-opened-we-discover-that-w_2510411.png) > “When books are opened, we discover that we have wings” [Helen Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hayes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reading opens imagination, granting freedom and potential **In simple terms:** Books give us metaphorical wings Key Takeaway Read regularly to expand horizons Themes imagination freedom knowledge Mood inspirational hopeful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - school libraries - personal development workshops - creative writing retreats - travel planning - career transitions Key Concepts literature personal growth creativity Questions to Reflect On - What books have given you a sense of freedom? - How can you cultivate a reading habit? A Different Perspective Not everyone feels inspired by reading ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Books Opened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books-opened-1131568/) [Discover Wings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discover-wings-1131569/) [Opened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opened/) [Wings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wings/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [“From your parents you learn love & laughter & how to put one foot in front of the other. But when books are opened,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hayes/from-your-parents-you-learn-love-laughter-how-to-put-one-foot-in/) [Helen Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hayes/) > [“From your parents, you learn love and laughter and how to put one foot in front of the other. But when books are opened,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hayes/from-your-parents-you-learn-love-and-laughter-and-how-to-put-one-foot/) [Helen Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hayes/) > [From your parents you learn love and laughter and how to put one foot before the other. But when books are opened you discover…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hayes/from-your-parents-you-learn-love-and-laughter-and-how-to-put-one-foot-2/) [Helen Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hayes/) > [“What is it to discover you have wings? What is it to be afraid of your wings? What is it to discover at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mimi-novic/what-is-it-to-discover-you-have-wings-what-is-it-to-be-afraid-of-your/) [Mimi Novic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mimi-novic/) > [“Feeling like she really was just seven or eight, Claire sat down on the floor, books all around her, and she opened the last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lynn-barnes/feeling-like-she-really-was-just-seven-or-eight-claire-sat-down-on/) [Jennifer Lynn Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lynn-barnes/) > [All the Enid Blyton books - they opened my eyes to a bunch of kids living a life that was so far away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-sharp/all-the-enid-blyton-books-they-opened-my-eyes-to-a-bunch-of-kids/) [Lesley Sharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-sharp/) > [“People are like books. Everywhere they're opened, they're read.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/people-are-like-books-everywhere-they-re-opened-they-re-read/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bible/and-i-saw-the-dead-small-and-great-stand-before-god-and-the-books/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bible/) > [ “Her grandfather's books \[...\] opened before Ada, a world whose colours were so dazzling that reality paled in comparison and faded away. Boris Godunov,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ir-ne-n-mirovsky/her-grandfather-s-books-opened-before-ada-a-world-whose-colours-were/) [Irène Némirovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ir-ne-n-mirovsky/) > [Books opened up a whole new world to me. Through them I discovered new ideas, traveled to new places, and met new people. Books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-blume/books-opened-up-a-whole-new-world-to-me-through-them-i-discovered-new/) [Judy Blume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-blume/) > [We were in Philadelphia when Manager Pat shifted me from third to short, and right off the bat, I knew I had found my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-wallace/we-were-in-philadelphia-when-manager-pat-shifted-me-from-third-to/) [Bobby Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-wallace/) > [“To me, you are a book I have opened. I can't put it down. I need to know more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-ellen-malpas/to-me-you-are-a-book-i-have-opened-i-can-t-put-it-down-i-need-to-know/) [Jodi Ellen Malpas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-ellen-malpas/) > [“She opened for me, every part of her available and soft for me.  Except her heart, I thought.  That she had closed to me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-lilley/she-opened-for-me-every-part-of-her-available-and-soft-for-me-except/) [R.K. Lilley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-lilley/) > [They never opened the door which leads to the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/they-never-opened-the-door-which-leads-to-the-soul/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [We never think that our mothers will die. It was like suddenly an abyss opened at my feet - I was standing on nothing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/we-never-think-that-our-mothers-will-die-it-was-like-suddenly-an/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) ## More by Helen Hayes > [An actress always knows when she's hit it and mostly you haven't; but once or twice I think I hit it right, so maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hayes/an-actress-always-knows-when-she-s-hit-it-and-mostly-you-haven-t-but/) [Helen Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hayes/) > [The good die young but not always. The wicked prevail but not consistently. I am confused by life, and I feel safe within the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hayes/the-good-die-young-but-not-always-the-wicked-prevail-but-not/) [Helen Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hayes/) > [The hardest years in life are those between ten and seventy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hayes/the-hardest-years-in-life-are-those-between-ten-and-seventy/) [Helen Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hayes/) > [“From your parents you learn love & laughter & how to put one foot in front of the other. But when books are opened,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hayes/from-your-parents-you-learn-love-laughter-how-to-put-one-foot-in/) [Helen Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hayes/) > [“From your parents, you learn love and laughter and how to put one foot in front of the other. But when books are opened,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hayes/from-your-parents-you-learn-love-and-laughter-and-how-to-put-one-foot/) [Helen Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hayes/) > [In the last stages of a final illness, we need only the absence of pain and the presence of family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hayes/in-the-last-stages-of-a-final-illness-we-need-only-the-absence-of/) [Helen Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hayes/) > [I'm a boss by nature. I'm bossy. I'm not imperious, but I don't really want people to curtsy low before me and back out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hayes/i-m-a-boss-by-nature-i-m-bossy-i-m-not-imperious-but-i-don-t-really/) [Helen Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hayes/) > [The story of a love is not important-what is important is that one is capable of love. It is perhaps the only glimpse we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hayes/the-story-of-a-love-is-not-important-what-is-important-is-that-one-is/) [Helen Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hayes/) > [There's a little vanity chair that Charlie gave me the first Christmas we knew each other. I'll not be parting with that, nor our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hayes/there-s-a-little-vanity-chair-that-charlie-gave-me-the-first/) [Helen Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hayes/) > [“Always aim for achievement, and forget about success.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hayes/always-aim-for-achievement-and-forget-about-success/) [Helen Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hayes/) > [Love is perhaps the only glimpse we are permitted of eternity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hayes/love-is-perhaps-the-only-glimpse-we-are-permitted-of-eternity/) [Helen Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hayes/) > [Legends die hard. They survive as truth rarely does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hayes/legends-die-hard-they-survive-as-truth-rarely-does/) [Helen Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hayes/) > [We rely upon the poets, the philosophers, and the playwrights to articulate what most of us can only feel, in joy or sorrow. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hayes/we-rely-upon-the-poets-the-philosophers-and-the-playwrights-to/) [Helen Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hayes/) > [There is only one terminal dignity - love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hayes/there-is-only-one-terminal-dignity-love/) [Helen Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hayes/) > [Egocentrics are attracted to the inept. It gives them one more excuse for patting themselves on the back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hayes/egocentrics-are-attracted-to-the-inept-it-gives-them-one-more-excuse/) [Helen Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hayes/) [Explore all 54 Helen Hayes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hayes/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When books are opened, we discover that we have wings", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Helen Hayes" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hayes/when-books-are-opened-we-discover-that-we-have-wings/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hayes/when-books-are-opened-we-discover-that-we-have-wings/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b59/helen-hayes-12611_book_when-books-are-opened-we-discover-that-w_2510411.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b59/helen-hayes-12611_book_when-books-are-opened-we-discover-that-w_2510411.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b59/helen-hayes-12611_book_when-books-are-opened-we-discover-that-w_2510411.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When books are opened, we discover that we have wings” — Helen Hayes", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Helen Hayes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hayes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When books are opened, we discover...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hayes/when-books-are-opened-we-discover-that-we-have-wings/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hayes/when-books-are-opened-we-discover-that-we-have-wings/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```