--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: if we don't begin by imagining the…" description: "\"if we don't begin by imagining the perfect society, how shall we create one?\" — Isabel Allende" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f88/isabel-allende-266_ifs_if-we-don-t-begin-by-imagining-the-perfe_1636573.jpg" --- # if we don't begin by imagining the perfect society, how… ![“if we don't begin by imagining the perfect society, how shall we create one?” quote by Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f88/isabel-allende-266_ifs_if-we-don-t-begin-by-imagining-the-perfe_1636573.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f88/isabel-allende-266_ifs_if-we-don-t-begin-by-imagining-the-perfe_1636573.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f88/isabel-allende-266_ifs_if-we-don-t-begin-by-imagining-the-perfe_1636573.jpg) > “if we don't begin by imagining the perfect society, how shall we create one?” [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Imagining an ideal society is a prerequisite for creating it. **In simple terms:** Dreaming of perfection helps build it. Key Takeaway Envision the future before acting. Themes vision creativity social change idealism Mood hopeful inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - community planning - policy design - creative workshops Key Concepts imagination planning philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What perfect society would you design? - How can imagination guide practical steps? A Different Perspective Ideal visions may be unrealistic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Perfect society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect-society/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) ## Related quotes > [I begin by imagining the impossible and end by accomplishing the impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-chinmoy/i-begin-by-imagining-the-impossible-and-end-by-accomplishing-the/) [Sri Chinmoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-chinmoy/) > [I begin by imagining an artwork verbally. I try to describe in writing what the project is, what it is trying to do. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-lin/i-begin-by-imagining-an-artwork-verbally-i-try-to-describe-in-writing/) [Maya Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-lin/) > [“Many individuals are so constituted that their only thought is to obtain pleasure and shun responsibility. 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But they're fascinating to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-jennings/utopian-fiction-is-really-boring-i-had-to-read-a-lot-of-it-and-it-s/) [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) > [As we grew to love South Australia, we felt that we were in an expanding society, still feeling the bond to the motherland, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-helen-spence/as-we-grew-to-love-south-australia-we-felt-that-we-were-in-an/) [Catherine Helen Spence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-helen-spence/) ## More by Isabel Allende > [“I am happier when I love than when I am loved. I adore my husband, my son, and my grandchildren, my mother, my dog,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/i-am-happier-when-i-love-than-when-i-am-loved-i-adore-my-husband-my/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [Having a point to start is important. You know that when you decide to write something it's like a commitment. It's like falling in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/having-a-point-to-start-is-important-you-know-that-when-you-decide-to/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [Music is a wind that blows away the years, memories, and fear, that crouching animal I carry inside me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/music-is-a-wind-that-blows-away-the-years-memories-and-fear-that/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [Everybody has losses - it's unavoidable in life. Sharing our pain is very healing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/everybody-has-losses-it-s-unavoidable-in-life-sharing-our-pain-is/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [“The writer and the dreamer have so much in common: They can't control the plot, they are always part of the story or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/the-writer-and-the-dreamer-have-so-much-in-common-they-can-t-control/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [People think that they will sit down and produce the great American novel in one sitting. It doesn't work that way. This is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/people-think-that-they-will-sit-down-and-produce-the-great-american/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [“He had a principle: if you lend money and never see the person again, that's money well spent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/he-had-a-principle-if-you-lend-money-and-never-see-the-person-again/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [“Catholics form a majority in Chile, although there are more and more Evangelicals and Pentacostals who irritate everyone because they have a direct understanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/catholics-form-a-majority-in-chile-although-there-are-more-and-more/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [“At times I feel as if I had lived all this before and that I have already written these very words, but I know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/at-times-i-feel-as-if-i-had-lived-all-this-before-and-that-i-have/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [In 2011, I announced that I was going to retire, and my agent panicked. So she says: 'No, no, no. You have to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/in-2011-i-announced-that-i-was-going-to-retire-and-my-agent-panicked/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [I have lived with passion and in a hurry, trying to accomplish too many things. I never had time to think about my beliefs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/i-have-lived-with-passion-and-in-a-hurry-trying-to-accomplish-too/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [I'm surrounded by the scene of aging. I myself am in my 70s and not getting any younger. Although I'm very healthy, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/i-m-surrounded-by-the-scene-of-aging-i-myself-am-in-my-70s-and-not/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [I try to write the kind of books I like to read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/i-try-to-write-the-kind-of-books-i-like-to-read/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [“Intimacy needs time to mature—a shared history, tears shed, obstacles overcome, photographs in an album. It’s a slow-growing plant.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/intimacy-needs-time-to-mature-a-shared-history-tears-shed-obstacles/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [ The idea of the book \["The Japanese Lover"\] came in a conversation that I had with a friend walking in the streets of New… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/the-idea-of-the-book-the-japanese-lover-came-in-a-conversation-that-i/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) [Explore all 552 Isabel Allende quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) ## More Ifs quotes > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. 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If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [Many individuals spend a considerable portion of their lifetimes in terror of one imagined catastrophe or another. The classic is that your immortal soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/many-individuals-spend-a-considerable-portion-of-their-lifetimes-in/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-clark/obviously-if-you-don-t-love-life-you-can-t-enjoy-an-oyster/) [Eleanor Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-clark/) > [If I don't have pressure, I don't function.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferran-adria/if-i-don-t-have-pressure-i-don-t-function/) [Ferran Adria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferran-adria/) > [If you restore a car, and you're making money, then you're doing it wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/if-you-restore-a-car-and-you-re-making-money-then-you-re-doing-it/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we must be second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-sarabhai/but-we-are-convinced-that-if-we-are-to-play-a-meaningful-role/) [Vikram Sarabhai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-sarabhai/) > [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) Browse all 94,303 Ifs quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "if we don't begin by imagining the perfect society, how shall we create one?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Isabel Allende" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/if-we-don-t-begin-by-imagining-the-perfect-society-how-shall-we/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ifs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/if-we-don-t-begin-by-imagining-the-perfect-society-how-shall-we/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f88/isabel-allende-266_ifs_if-we-don-t-begin-by-imagining-the-perfe_1636573.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f88/isabel-allende-266_ifs_if-we-don-t-begin-by-imagining-the-perfe_1636573.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f88/isabel-allende-266_ifs_if-we-don-t-begin-by-imagining-the-perfe_1636573.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“if we don't begin by imagining the perfect society, how shall we create one?” — Isabel Allende", "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": "Isabel Allende", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "if we don't begin by imagining...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/if-we-don-t-begin-by-imagining-the-perfect-society-how-shall-we/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/if-we-don-t-begin-by-imagining-the-perfect-society-how-shall-we/#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 } } ] } ```