--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I thought it very likely I might have…" description: "\"“I thought it very likely I might have this sort of untestable power myself. It was kind of logical--no good at sport, alrightish at my studies, there ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/738/mark-barrowcliffe-21713_bottom-line_i-thought-it-very-likely-i-might-have-th_2245735.jpg" --- # I thought it very likely I might have this sort of… ![“I thought it very likely I might have this sort of untestable power myself. It was kind of logical--no good at sport, alrightish at my studies, there must have been some field in which I excelled. Magic had to be it. It's difficult for adults to picture just what a grip these fantasies can take on…” quote by Mark Barrowcliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/738/mark-barrowcliffe-21713_bottom-line_i-thought-it-very-likely-i-might-have-th_2245735.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/738/mark-barrowcliffe-21713_bottom-line_i-thought-it-very-likely-i-might-have-th_2245735.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/738/mark-barrowcliffe-21713_bottom-line_i-thought-it-very-likely-i-might-have-th_2245735.jpg) > ““I thought it very likely I might have this sort of untestable power myself. It was kind of logical--no good at sport, alrightish at my studies, there must have been some field in which I excelled. Magic had to be it. It's difficult for adults to picture just what a grip these fantasies can take on a child. There's occasionally a reminder as a kid throws himself off a roof pretending to be Batman, but mostly the interior life of children goes unnoticed. When I say I thought I could be a wizard, that's exactly true. I really did believe I had latent magical powers, and, with enough concentration and fiddling my fingers into strange patterns, I might suddenly find how to unlock the magic inside me. I wouldn't call this a delusion, more a very strong suspicion. I'd weighed all the evidence, and that was the likely conclusion--so much so that I had to stop myself trying to turn Matt Bradon into a fly when he was jumping up and down on the desk in French saying, "Miss, what are mammary glands?" to the big-breasted Miss Mundsley. I feared that, if I succeeded, I might not be able to turn him back. It was important, I knew, to use my powers wisely. There's nothing that you'd have to call a psychoanalyst in for here. At the bottom line my growing interest in fantasy was just an expression of a very common feeling--"there's got to be something better than this," an easy one to have in the drab Midlands of the 1970s. I couldn't see it, though. My world was very small, and I couldn't imagine making things better incrementally, only a total escape.”” [Mark Barrowcliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-barrowcliffe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A child’s belief in hidden magical powers reflects a desire to escape ordinary life, using imagination as a coping mechanism. **In simple terms:** Kids imagine magic to feel better about their world. Key Takeaway Channel imagination into creative outlets. Themes imagination escape childhood identity Mood reflective thoughtful Type psychological literary When to use this quote - playful learning - creative writing - coping strategies Key Concepts psychology fantasy literature Questions to Reflect On - How can imagination be balanced with realism? - What healthy outlets replace magical thinking? 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When I say I thought I could be a wizard, that's exactly true. I really did believe I had latent magical powers, and, with enough concentration and fiddling my fingers into strange patterns, I might suddenly find how to unlock the magic inside me. I wouldn't call this a delusion, more a very strong suspicion. I'd weighed all the evidence, and that was the likely conclusion--so much so that I had to stop myself trying to turn Matt Bradon into a fly when he was jumping up and down on the desk in French saying, \"Miss, what are mammary glands?\" to the big-breasted Miss Mundsley. I feared that, if I succeeded, I might not be able to turn him back. It was important, I knew, to use my powers wisely. There's nothing that you'd have to call a psychoanalyst in for here. At the bottom line my growing interest in fantasy was just an expression of a very common feeling--\"there's got to be something better than this,\" an easy one to have in the drab Midlands of the 1970s. 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