---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Like I said, magic comes from life, and…"
description: "\"“Like I said, magic comes from life, and especially from emotions. They're a source of the same intangible energy that everyone can feel when an autumn..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef1/jim-butcher-151_better-person_like-i-said-magic-comes-from-life-and-es_2234915.jpg"
---

#  Like I said, magic comes from life, and especially from…

![“Like I said, magic comes from life, and especially from emotions. They're a source of the same intangible energy that everyone can feel when an autumn moon rises and fills you with a sudden sense of bone-deep excitement, or when the first warm breeze of spring rushes past your face, full of the…” quote by Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef1/jim-butcher-151_better-person_like-i-said-magic-comes-from-life-and-es_2234915.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef1/jim-butcher-151_better-person_like-i-said-magic-comes-from-life-and-es_2234915.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef1/jim-butcher-151_better-person_like-i-said-magic-comes-from-life-and-es_2234915.jpg)

> ““Like I said, magic comes from life, and especially from emotions. They're a source of the same intangible energy that everyone can feel when an autumn moon rises and fills you with a sudden sense of bone-deep excitement, or when the first warm breeze of spring rushes past your face, full of the scents of life, and drowns you in a sudden flood of unreasoning joy. The passion of mighty music that brings tears to your eyes, and the raw, bubbling, infectious laughter of small children at play, the bellowing power of a stadium full of football fans shouting "Hey!" in time to that damned song—they're all charged with magic. My magic comes from the same places. And maybe from darker places than that. Fear is an emotion, too. So is rage. So is lust. And madness. I'm not a particularly good person. I'm no Charles Manson or anything, but I'm not going to be up for canonization either. Though in the past, I think maybe I was a better person than I am today. In the past I hadn't seen so many people hurt and killed and terrorized by the same kind of power that damn well should have been making the world a nicer place, or at the least staying the hell away from it. I hadn't made so many mistakes back then, so many shortsighted decisions, some of which had cost people their lives. I had been sure of myself. I had been whole.””

[Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The narrator describes magic as arising from intense emotions and natural experiences, both bright and dark, acknowledging personal flaws and past mistakes.

**In simple terms:** Magic comes from strong feelings and life moments.

Key Takeaway

Channel emotions into creative energy.

Themes

emotion magic humanity

Mood

introspective dramatic

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- artistic expression
- personal growth
- conflict resolution

Key Concepts

psychology creativity redemption

Questions to Reflect On

- Which emotions fuel your best work?
- How do you manage darker feelings?

A Different Perspective

Emotions can be volatile and lead to harmful actions.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Better person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-person/) [Football Fans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football-fans/) [Good person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-person/) [Harry dresden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harry-dresden/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Magic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [Emotions are a source of power, and that's what science tells us. But many people I encounter have been led to think of emotions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-murthy/emotions-are-a-source-of-power-and-that-s-what-science-tells-us-but/)

[Vivek Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-murthy/)

> [“Magic comes from the heart, from your feelings, your deepest expressions of desire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/magic-comes-from-the-heart-from-your-feelings-your-deepest/)

[Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/)

> [“The best magic comes from the inside.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/the-best-magic-comes-from-the-inside/)

[Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/)

> [Love is another kind of power, which shouldn't surprise you. Magic comes from emotions, among other things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/love-is-another-kind-of-power-which-shouldn-t-surprise-you-magic-2/)

[Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/)

> [Love is another kind of power, which shouldn't surprise you. Magic comes from emotions, among other things. And when two people are together, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/love-is-another-kind-of-power-which-shouldn-t-surprise-you-magic/)

[Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/)

> [Magic comes from what is inside you. It is a part of you. You can't weave together a spell that you don't beleive in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/magic-comes-from-what-is-inside-you-it-is-a-part-of-you-you-can-t/)

[Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/)

> [“Magic comes from the heart, from your feelings, your deepest expressions of desire. That's why black magic is so easy—it comes from lust, from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/magic-comes-from-the-heart-from-your-feelings-your-deepest-2/)

[Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/)

> [“That don't make sense." "Of course not," he said. "It's magic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-rose-clarke/that-don-t-make-sense-of-course-not-he-said-it-s-magic/)

[Cassandra Rose Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-rose-clarke/)

> [“It is said that the Magic of Air or Fire or even Earth is the most powerful magic of all. But that is wrong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scott/it-is-said-that-the-magic-of-air-or-fire-or-even-earth-is-the-most/)

[Michael Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scott/)

> [“Would you teach me, Seth?’ Seth smiled and leaned back in his seat. ‘You do realise, of course, that you have no idea what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-morgan/would-you-teach-me-seth-seth-smiled-and-leaned-back-in-his-seat-you/)

Lee Morgan

> [It's the first and only rule. Magic comes when you're not looking for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-smale/it-s-the-first-and-only-rule-magic-comes-when-you-re-not-looking-for/)

[Holly Smale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-smale/)

> [This book is presented in three parts. Part One is an examination of the relationship of humanity to the universe. It covers some basic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-papian/this-book-is-presented-in-three-parts-part-one-is-an-examination-of/)

[Ruben Papian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-papian/)

> [“Nothing but magic is really like magic, when it comes right down to it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-nesbet/nothing-but-magic-is-really-like-magic-when-it-comes-right-down-to-it/)

[Anne Nesbet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-nesbet/)

> [When you start writing the magic comes when the characters seem to take on a life of their own and write the words for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/when-you-start-writing-the-magic-comes-when-the-characters-seem-to/)

[Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/)

> [“I know you all think I'm a magician, but I'm not. The magic comes out of the books themselves, and I have no more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/i-know-you-all-think-i-m-a-magician-but-i-m-not-the-magic-comes-out/)

[Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/)

## More by Jim Butcher

> [“I stared at MacFinn for a long moment. I believed that he was telling me the truth. That he didn’t have much control, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/i-stared-at-macfinn-for-a-long-moment-i-believed-that-he-was-telling/)

[Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/)

> [“So you really could die. Your godmother is right, you know. You are mad as a hatter. Nutty as a fruitcake.” “Crazy like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/so-you-really-could-die-your-godmother-is-right-you-know-you-are-mad/)

[Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/)

> [“I knew I didn't have much of a chance of getting away from that swarm of fae piranha, but it was an infinitely larger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/i-knew-i-didn-t-have-much-of-a-chance-of-getting-away-from-that-swarm/)

[Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/)

> [“I told you," Molly said, never looking toward me. "It's in the past. Leave it there." "You listening to my head, kiddo?" Her mouth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/i-told-you-molly-said-never-looking-toward-me-it-s-in-the-past-leave/)

[Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/)

> [Punctuality is for people with nothing better to do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/punctuality-is-for-people-with-nothing-better-to-do/)

[Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/)

> [“Look,” I said. “Me and the island are . . . kind of partners.” “Oh, right,” Thomas said. He looked at Karrin and said, “Harry’s a geosexual.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/look-i-said-me-and-the-island-are-kind-of-partners-oh-right-thomas/)

[Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/)

> [“I swear , this stupid town. Why does every hideous supernatural thing that happens happen here ? I'm gone for a few months and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/i-swear-this-stupid-town-why-does-every-hideous-supernatural-thing/)

[Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/)

> [Well. We’ll just have to hope that this wasn’t a loup-garou, I guess.” “If it was a louper, you’d know,” Bob said wisely. “In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/well-we-ll-just-have-to-hope-that-this-wasn-t-a-loup-garou-i-guess-if/)

[Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/)

> [“I'm going to use them to track him down and thwart him." "Thwart?" Sarissa asked. "Thwart." I said. "To prevent someone from accomplishing something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/i-m-going-to-use-them-to-track-him-down-and-thwart-him-thwart-sarissa/)

[Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/)

> [“But you can't go around changing your definition of right and wrong (or smart and stupid) just because doing the wrong thing happens to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/but-you-can-t-go-around-changing-your-definition-of-right-and-wrong/)

[Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/)

> [“Not everyone can be equally right, Harry.” “But believe you me, everyone can be equally wrong,” I said.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/not-everyone-can-be-equally-right-harry-but-believe-you-me-everyone/)

[Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/)

> [You are a drug dealer. To tiny faeries. Shame." Sanya to Dresden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/you-are-a-drug-dealer-to-tiny-faeries-shame-sanya-to-dresden/)

[Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/)

> [“He fell into step beside me and we both got into the Blue Beetle — he got in the red door. I got in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/he-fell-into-step-beside-me-and-we-both-got-into-the-blue-beetle-he/)

[Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/)

> [Something like this will test you like nothing else," Mac said. "You're going to find out who you are, Harry. You're going to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/something-like-this-will-test-you-like-nothing-else-mac-said-you-re/)

[Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/)

> [“Mort looked at the cat and sighed. “Oh, sure. Professional ectomancer with a national reputation as a medium tells you what’s going on, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/mort-looked-at-the-cat-and-sighed-oh-sure-professional-ectomancer/)

[Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/)

[Explore all 1,110 Jim Butcher quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/)

## More Better person quotes

> [“Claiming to be offended is a great way to elevate yourself at the expense of others: “Look at me! I'm a much better person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/claiming-to-be-offended-is-a-great-way-to-elevate-yourself-at-the/)

[Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/)

> [Go afield with a good attitude, with respect for the wildlife you hunt and for the forest and fields in which you walk. Immerse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-bear/go-afield-with-a-good-attitude-with-respect-for-the-wildlife-you-hunt/)

[Fred Bear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-bear/)

> [My favorite thing about being a mom is just what a better person it makes you on a daily basis,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-barrymore/my-favorite-thing-about-being-a-mom-is-just-what-a-better-person-it/)

[Drew Barrymore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-barrymore/)

> [A real good artist learns to be a better person through all the changes they've been through. They keep their loving and honesty growing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bradley/a-real-good-artist-learns-to-be-a-better-person-through-all-the/)

[Charles Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bradley/)

> [I wasn't paid a dime for my track career. But participating in the Olympics gave me the opportunity to learn about different cultures; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyomia-tyus/i-wasn-t-paid-a-dime-for-my-track-career-but-participating-in-the/)

Wyomia Tyus

> [I'm a better person when I'm preparing for a role, when I'm studying a role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-kilmer/i-m-a-better-person-when-i-m-preparing-for-a-role-when-i-m-studying-a/)

[Val Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-kilmer/)

> [I found myself thinking a lot about my own spirituality. What it means to be Jewish, what it means to forgive, what it means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tod-goldberg/i-found-myself-thinking-a-lot-about-my-own-spirituality-what-it-means/)

[Tod Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tod-goldberg/)

> [I found the emotion that as an athlete you block out, and it really helped me to understand myself as a person. I'm a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-lewis/i-found-the-emotion-that-as-an-athlete-you-block-out-and-it-really/)

[Carl Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-lewis/)

> [I always try to see my weakness, work on it, to be better as a person and a player, everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-salah/i-always-try-to-see-my-weakness-work-on-it-to-be-better-as-a-person/)

[Mohamed Salah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-salah/)

> [Life is like a circle it has no end point and every turn is a challenge did you notice it a circle has every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/life-is-like-a-circle-it-has-no-end-point-and-every-turn-is-a/)

[Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/)

> [I started running ultras to become a better person,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenn-shelton/i-started-running-ultras-to-become-a-better-person/)

Jenn Shelton

> [If you live with a single parent, you don't see compromise. You witness a grown person living in a world where they do what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/if-you-live-with-a-single-parent-you-don-t-see-compromise-you-witness/)

[Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/)

> [I take no pleasure in seeing DeLay swing gently in the wind. But the thing I believe in the most is ethics. If someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-delay/i-take-no-pleasure-in-seeing-delay-swing-gently-in-the-wind-but-the/)

[Tom DeLay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-delay/)

> [Sometimes you have to steer away from the crowd in order to be a better person. It's not always easy, that's for sure. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-elkeles/sometimes-you-have-to-steer-away-from-the-crowd-in-order-to-be-a/)

[Simone Elkeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-elkeles/)

> [Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises. Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/nobody-ever-feels-100-ready-when-an-opportunity-arises-because-most/)

[Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/)

[Browse all 980 Better person quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-person/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Like I said, magic comes from life, and especially from emotions. They're a source of the same intangible energy that everyone can feel when an autumn moon rises and fills you with a sudden sense of bone-deep excitement, or when the first warm breeze of spring rushes past your face, full of the scents of life, and drowns you in a sudden flood of unreasoning joy. The passion of mighty music that brings tears to your eyes, and the raw, bubbling, infectious laughter of small children at play, the bellowing power of a stadium full of football fans shouting \"Hey!\" in time to that damned song—they're all charged with magic. My magic comes from the same places. And maybe from darker places than that. Fear is an emotion, too. So is rage. So is lust. And madness. I'm not a particularly good person. I'm no Charles Manson or anything, but I'm not going to be up for canonization either. Though in the past, I think maybe I was a better person than I am today. In the past I hadn't seen so many people hurt and killed and terrorized by the same kind of power that damn well should have been making the world a nicer place, or at the least staying the hell away from it. I hadn't made so many mistakes back then, so many shortsighted decisions, some of which had cost people their lives. I had been sure of myself. I had been whole.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jim Butcher"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/like-i-said-magic-comes-from-life-and-especially-from-emotions-they/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Better person"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/like-i-said-magic-comes-from-life-and-especially-from-emotions-they/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef1/jim-butcher-151_better-person_like-i-said-magic-comes-from-life-and-es_2234915.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef1/jim-butcher-151_better-person_like-i-said-magic-comes-from-life-and-es_2234915.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef1/jim-butcher-151_better-person_like-i-said-magic-comes-from-life-and-es_2234915.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Like I said, magic comes from life, and especially from emotions. They're a source of the same intangible…” — Jim Butcher",
                "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": "Jim Butcher",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Like I said, magic comes from...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/like-i-said-magic-comes-from-life-and-especially-from-emotions-they/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/like-i-said-magic-comes-from-life-and-especially-from-emotions-they/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
