--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They had dreams but they called them…" description: "\"They had dreams but they called them dreams because they were unrelated to reality, they were a distant unknown, an impossibility, they would never com..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccc/james-frey-1108_dream_they-had-dreams-but-they-called-them-dre_2421781.png" --- # They had dreams but they called them dreams because they… ![“They had dreams but they called them dreams because they were unrelated to reality, they were a distant unknown, an impossibility, they would never come true.” quote by James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccc/james-frey-1108_dream_they-had-dreams-but-they-called-them-dre_2421781.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccc/james-frey-1108_dream_they-had-dreams-but-they-called-them-dre_2421781.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccc/james-frey-1108_dream_they-had-dreams-but-they-called-them-dre_2421781.png) > “They had dreams but they called them dreams because they were unrelated to reality, they were a distant unknown, an impossibility, they would never come true.” [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Dreams become reality when they are grounded in actionable plans; mere fantasies stay distant. **In simple terms:** Turn dreams into plans to achieve them. Key Takeaway Plan and act on dreams. Themes dreams reality goal‑setting Mood hopeful determined Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - career aspirations - personal projects - entrepreneurship - creative endeavors Key Concepts motivation psychology Questions to Reflect On - What steps can you take today toward your dream? - How do you measure progress? A Different Perspective Dreams without effort remain fantasies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Called Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/called-dreams-1680373/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Dreams Called](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams-called-589283/) [Dreams Unrelated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams-unrelated-6130959/) [Impossibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impossibility/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Reality Distant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality-distant-6130960/) [Unrelated Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unrelated-reality-2879200/) ## Related quotes > [there is no such thing as fantasy unrelated to reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/there-is-no-such-thing-as-fantasy-unrelated-to-reality/) [Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/) > [One of my dreams was being called a 'Diaper Dandy' by Dick Vitale. He calls me that all the time now. It's surreal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trae-young/one-of-my-dreams-was-being-called-a-diaper-dandy-by-dick-vitale-he/) [Trae Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trae-young/) > [“I could never live out completely one full experience, one point of consciousness in time and space. My dreams, if dreams they may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/i-could-never-live-out-completely-one-full-experience-one-point-of/) [Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/) > [“if dreams may be called passions. I see no reason not to call them passions”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitl-n-r-kiernan/if-dreams-may-be-called-passions-i-see-no-reason-not-to-call-them/) [Caitlín R. Kiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitl-n-r-kiernan/) > [“Even a supportive Obama biographer like David Remnick called Dreams a “mixture of verifiable fact, recollection, re-creation, invention, and artful shaping.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-cashill/even-a-supportive-obama-biographer-like-david-remnick-called-dreams-a/) [Jack Cashill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-cashill/) > [“When the world falls asleep, authors weave the stories that are called dreams.. and when authors dare to jot down.. that's called making dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrmn/when-the-world-falls-asleep-authors-weave-the-stories-that-are-called/) [Vikrmn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrmn/) > [Slowly, after dozens of rejection slips and failures and false starts and postponed dreams - what Langston Hughes called dreams deferred - I stepped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/slowly-after-dozens-of-rejection-slips-and-failures-and-false-starts/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“We all have time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories. Others take us forward, they're called dreams. —Unknown”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleatha-romig/we-all-have-time-machines-some-take-us-back-they-re-called-memories-2/) [Aleatha Romig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleatha-romig/) > [We all have time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories. Others take us forward, they're called dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-all-have-time-machines-some-take-us-back-they-re-called-memories/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories. Some take us forward, they're called dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-irons/we-all-have-our-time-machines-some-take-us-back-they-re-called-2/) [Jeremy Irons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-irons/) > [“He heard the voice that had called to him in dreams, had saved him from the sands and from following his brother into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-s-carnes/he-heard-the-voice-that-had-called-to-him-in-dreams-had-saved-him/) [V.S. Carnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-carnes/) > [“He called dreams a 'royal road' into the unconscious, made up of all forbidden wishes you had and you wished you didn't”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/he-called-dreams-a-royal-road-into-the-unconscious-made-up-of-all/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [When it comes to Dreams it's always come the Nightmares before you can reach your Dreams that's why it's called Dreams and Nightmares.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-myers-jr/when-it-comes-to-dreams-it-s-always-come-the-nightmares-before-you/) [Michael Myers Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-myers-jr/) > [“We all have our time machines. Some take us back. They're called memories. Some take us forward. They're called dreams. – Jeremy Irons”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-heldt/we-all-have-our-time-machines-some-take-us-back-they-re-called/) [John A. Heldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-a-heldt/) > [I could not limit my values and pursuits to what makes others comfortable. Being possessed by a promise I live without options. I will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/i-could-not-limit-my-values-and-pursuits-to-what-makes-others/) [Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/) ## More by James Frey > [“It is a touching story, and it is written more to convince than to tell. I am not convinced.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/it-is-a-touching-story-and-it-is-written-more-to-convince-than-to/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [But love is different for every person. For some it's hate, for some it's joy, for some it's fear, for some it's jealousy, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/but-love-is-different-for-every-person-for-some-it-s-hate-for-some-it/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [“I close my eyes and I let my body shut itself down and I let my mind wander. It wanders to a familiar place.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/i-close-my-eyes-and-i-let-my-body-shut-itself-down-and-i-let-my-mind/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [He pulled out turned west and started driving towards the glow it was thousands of miles away, he started driving towards the glow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/he-pulled-out-turned-west-and-started-driving-towards-the-glow-it-was/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [“Addiction is a decision. An individual wants something, whatever that something is, and makes a desicion to get it. Once they have it, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/addiction-is-a-decision-an-individual-wants-something-whatever-that/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [“I start to cry. Tears begin running down my face and quiet sobs escape me. I don't know what I'm doing and I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/i-start-to-cry-tears-begin-running-down-my-face-and-quiet-sobs-escape/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [The promise of eternal life makes people forsake the life they're given.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/the-promise-of-eternal-life-makes-people-forsake-the-life-they-re/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [We know have the power of God in many ways: the atomic bomb, the ability to create life in a test tube, cloning, artificial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/we-know-have-the-power-of-god-in-many-ways-the-atomic-bomb-the/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [For the worst things of our lives, it is sometimes the best way, to never speak of them again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/for-the-worst-things-of-our-lives-it-is-sometimes-the-best-way-to/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [“Thirty-six. If you want to shrink something, you must first expand it. If you want to get rid of something, you must allow it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/thirty-six-if-you-want-to-shrink-something-you-must-first-expand-it/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [The book is about drug addiction and alcoholism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/the-book-is-about-drug-addiction-and-alcoholism/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [And even though people try to pretend that pain doesn't do anything to them, none of us can really handle it. Everything bad we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/and-even-though-people-try-to-pretend-that-pain-doesn-t-do-anything/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [You don't have to follow anybody's rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/you-don-t-have-to-follow-anybody-s-rules/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [I don't care what people come at me with. People have come at me with everything you could imagine. I could care less about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/i-don-t-care-what-people-come-at-me-with-people-have-come-at-me-with/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [“There is no Higher Power or any God who is responsible for what I do and for what I have done and for who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/there-is-no-higher-power-or-any-god-who-is-responsible-for-what-i-do/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) [Explore all 288 James Frey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) ## More Dream quotes > [“Once we become sensitive to dreams, we discover that every dynamic in a dream is manifesting itself in some way in our practical lives”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-johnson/once-we-become-sensitive-to-dreams-we-discover-that-every-dynamic-in/) [Robert A. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-johnson/) > [A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;It's loveliness increase;it will never pass into nothingness;but still will keep a bower quiet for us,and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/a-thing-of-beauty-is-a-joy-for-ever-it-s-loveliness-increase-it-will/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [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/) > [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. Your mind is an unimaginable bloom. A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [Academically, I was never that interested. I skipped classes. My biggest dream was to have a coffee shop, but I had no idea how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-espinosa/academically-i-was-never-that-interested-i-skipped-classes-my-biggest/) [Daniel Espinosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-espinosa/) > [“As dreams are the healing songs from the wilderness of our unconscious - So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes are the healing dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-pendell/as-dreams-are-the-healing-songs-from-the-wilderness-of-our/) [Dale Pendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-pendell/) > [Alone in a world, With millions of souls Walking in circles Trapped in their dreams unhealthy, unclean walking in circles, now do not disturb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-bennington/alone-in-a-world-with-millions-of-souls-walking-in-circles-trapped-in/) [Chester Bennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-bennington/) > [“Doing the work to transform your dreams into reality is like walking across the earth. It can be that hard, and it can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu/doing-the-work-to-transform-your-dreams-into-reality-is-like-walking/) [Dragos Bratasanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu/) > [As far as Im concerned, I didnt dream - ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/as-far-as-im-concerned-i-didnt-dream-ever/) [Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/) > [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [I guess, it's a father's dream for his daughter to be known around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-soberano/i-guess-it-s-a-father-s-dream-for-his-daughter-to-be-known-around-the/) [Liza Soberano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-soberano/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-life-seems-like-a-dream-especially-when-i-look-down-and-see/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [“I had a dream. I had an awesome dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-had-a-dream-i-had-an-awesome-dream/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/his-dream-must-have-seemed-so-close-that-he-could-hardly-fail-to/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) [Browse all 26,527 Dream quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "They had dreams but they called them dreams because they were unrelated to reality, they were a distant unknown, an impossibility, they would never come true.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Frey" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/they-had-dreams-but-they-called-them-dreams-because-they-were/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dream" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/they-had-dreams-but-they-called-them-dreams-because-they-were/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccc/james-frey-1108_dream_they-had-dreams-but-they-called-them-dre_2421781.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccc/james-frey-1108_dream_they-had-dreams-but-they-called-them-dre_2421781.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccc/james-frey-1108_dream_they-had-dreams-but-they-called-them-dre_2421781.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“They had dreams but they called them dreams because they were unrelated to reality, they were a distant…” — James Frey", "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": "James Frey", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "They had dreams but they called...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/they-had-dreams-but-they-called-them-dreams-because-they-were/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/they-had-dreams-but-they-called-them-dreams-because-they-were/#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 } } ] } ```