--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Imagine this—what if Leonardo DaVinci’s…" description: "\"“Imagine this—what if Leonardo DaVinci’s parents told him he should stop imagining things? Or what if Steve Jobs was told to stop imagining a better co..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/107/michael-alden-26223_imagining-things_imagine-this-what-if-leonardo-davinci-s_2571743.jpg" --- # Imagine this—what if Leonardo DaVinci’s parents told him… ![“Imagine this—what if Leonardo DaVinci’s parents told him he should stop imagining things? Or what if Steve Jobs was told to stop imagining a better computer?” quote by Michael Alden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/107/michael-alden-26223_imagining-things_imagine-this-what-if-leonardo-davinci-s_2571743.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/107/michael-alden-26223_imagining-things_imagine-this-what-if-leonardo-davinci-s_2571743.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/107/michael-alden-26223_imagining-things_imagine-this-what-if-leonardo-davinci-s_2571743.jpg) > ““Imagine this—what if Leonardo DaVinci’s parents told him he should stop imagining things? Or what if Steve Jobs was told to stop imagining a better computer?”” [Michael Alden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-alden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creative breakthroughs often arise when we challenge conventional expectations and imagine beyond limits. **In simple terms:** Imagine beyond limits for breakthroughs. Key Takeaway Question assumptions to spark innovation. Themes creativity imagination innovation challenge inspiration Mood inspirational thought‑provoking Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - design brainstorming - product development - artistic creation - problem solving Key Concepts divergent thinking paradigm shift visionary mindset Questions to Reflect On - What constraints shape your imagination? - How can you test bold ideas? A Different Perspective Some ideas may be impractical without resources. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Imagining things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagining-things/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) ## Related quotes > [Can you imagine being Leonardo Da Vinci in the 1400s trying to describe his ideas for machines that would allow humans to fly to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fabrizio-moreira/can-you-imagine-being-leonardo-da-vinci-in-the-1400s-trying-to/) [Fabrizio Moreira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fabrizio-moreira/) > [When I was a student looking at Leonardo DaVinci and all those guys - Italian, Dutch, or whatever - it's incredible how each piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emir-kusturica/when-i-was-a-student-looking-at-leonardo-davinci-and-all-those-guys/) [Emir Kusturica](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emir-kusturica/) > [“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. ~Leonardo DaVinci I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, and compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-gabb/simplicity-is-the-ultimate-sophistication-leonardo-davinci-i-have/) Sarah Gabb > [Basically, the world is a giant shithole. But some of us are capable of imagining something better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-lazebnik/basically-the-world-is-a-giant-shithole-but-some-of-us-are-capable-of/) [Claire LaZebnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-lazebnik/) > [Imagining something is better than remembering something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/imagining-something-is-better-than-remembering-something/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Creativity is not the work of a few. We each carry within us the image of God the Creator; we each have the task…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-o-connor/creativity-is-not-the-work-of-a-few-we-each-carry-within-us-the-image/) [Elizabeth O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-o-connor/) > [“It’s not easy being a mammal with a big cortex. We have enough neurons to imagine things that don’t exist instead of just focusing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-not-easy-being-a-mammal-with-a-big-cortex-we-have-enough-neurons/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Basically it means the world's a giant shithole, but some of us are capable of imagining something better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-lazebnik/basically-it-means-the-world-s-a-giant-shithole-but-some-of-us-are/) [Claire LaZebnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-lazebnik/) > [“I like imagining better than remembering”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-m-montgomery-l-m/i-like-imagining-better-than-remembering/) L.M.Montgomery【L.M.蒙哥马利】 > [Stop imagining yourself being or doing this or that and the realization that you are the source and heart of all will dawn on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/stop-imagining-yourself-being-or-doing-this-or-that-and-the/) [Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/) > [“Confine your imagination. Do not lose yourself to dangerous daydreams. Do not sit and ponder and dwell on a life you are not living.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-haig/confine-your-imagination-do-not-lose-yourself-to-dangerous-daydreams/) [Matt Haig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-haig/) > [Don't stop imagining. The day that you do is the day that you die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/youth-lagoon/don-t-stop-imagining-the-day-that-you-do-is-the-day-that-you-die/) [Youth Lagoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/youth-lagoon/) > [There is nothing to practice. To know yourself, be yourself. To be yourself, stop imagining yourself to be this or that. Just be. Let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/there-is-nothing-to-practice-to-know-yourself-be-yourself-to-be/) [Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/) > [I think you sense the metaphorical resonance of what you're writing without analysing it too carefully. That leads you down dead ends. You stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-o-neill/i-think-you-sense-the-metaphorical-resonance-of-what-you-re-writing/) [Joseph O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-o-neill/) > [If you really stop resisting someone or stop judging them or stop being afraid of them or stop imagining they're going to do something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-canfield/if-you-really-stop-resisting-someone-or-stop-judging-them-or-stop/) [Jack Canfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-canfield/) ## More by Michael Alden > [“cleansing your friends doesn’t mean you have to expel them from your life forever, but depending on the level of their negativity and potentially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-alden/cleansing-your-friends-doesn-t-mean-you-have-to-expel-them-from-your/) [Michael Alden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-alden/) > [“apply the skills you learned from your “coach” to whatever situation applies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-alden/apply-the-skills-you-learned-from-your-coach-to-whatever-situation/) [Michael Alden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-alden/) > [“making excuses takes away your opportunity to see what could have been. Don’t ever be that person who says “If I had only listened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-alden/making-excuses-takes-away-your-opportunity-to-see-what-could-have/) [Michael Alden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-alden/) > [“Most of our excuses are just ways of making ourselves feel better about why we didn’t do something,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-alden/most-of-our-excuses-are-just-ways-of-making-ourselves-feel-better/) [Michael Alden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-alden/) > [“Today is going to be a terrific day, I am not going to make excuses, and I will not give up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-alden/today-is-going-to-be-a-terrific-day-i-am-not-going-to-make-excuses/) [Michael Alden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-alden/) > [“I was lucky that I was forced to find a way to get the things I wanted in life by finding honest ways to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-alden/i-was-lucky-that-i-was-forced-to-find-a-way-to-get-the-things-i/) [Michael Alden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-alden/) > [“What does your future look like if you keep doing what you are doing? Are you happy with the end result? If you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-alden/what-does-your-future-look-like-if-you-keep-doing-what-you-are-doing/) [Michael Alden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-alden/) > [“You need to step back from your family to decide who in your family circle is holding you back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-alden/you-need-to-step-back-from-your-family-to-decide-who-in-your-family/) [Michael Alden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-alden/) > [“In order to be successful in life, you can’t always go with the masses and do what you are supposed to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-alden/in-order-to-be-successful-in-life-you-can-t-always-go-with-the-masses/) [Michael Alden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-alden/) > [“I’m magnificent, but I will get better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-alden/i-m-magnificent-but-i-will-get-better/) [Michael Alden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-alden/) > [“Your imagination is one of the most powerful tools available to the human mind. Encourage imagination, embrace it, and utilize it. There is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-alden/your-imagination-is-one-of-the-most-powerful-tools-available-to-the/) [Michael Alden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-alden/) > [“I have never failed at anything; I have only experienced defeat, and I will learn from it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-alden/i-have-never-failed-at-anything-i-have-only-experienced-defeat-and-i/) [Michael Alden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-alden/) > [“when you are being taught something by someone who knows more than you, listen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-alden/when-you-are-being-taught-something-by-someone-who-knows-more-than/) [Michael Alden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-alden/) > [“every morning when you wake up: clap your hands and say out loud, “Today is going to be a terrific day, I am not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-alden/every-morning-when-you-wake-up-clap-your-hands-and-say-out-loud-today/) [Michael Alden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-alden/) > [“I have found that in order to be successful, you have to think differently.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-alden/i-have-found-that-in-order-to-be-successful-you-have-to-think/) [Michael Alden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-alden/) [Explore all 20 Michael Alden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-alden/) ## More Imagining things quotes > [Sometimes people who had been together for a long time got to imagining that things used to be better, even when they weren't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-addison-allen/sometimes-people-who-had-been-together-for-a-long-time-got-to/) [Sarah Addison Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-addison-allen/) > [We have an obligation to imagine. It is easy to pretend that nobody can change anything, that we are in a world in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/we-have-an-obligation-to-imagine-it-is-easy-to-pretend-that-nobody/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [One reason I've never been a fan of graphic novels is because a central aspect of literature for me has always been imagining what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-filler/one-reason-i-ve-never-been-a-fan-of-graphic-novels-is-because-a/) [Martin Filler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-filler/) > [I have a lot of trouble with scripts. I have a lot of trouble imagining things while I'm reading them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/i-have-a-lot-of-trouble-with-scripts-i-have-a-lot-of-trouble/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [“I spend a lot of time imagining things - in fact, you could say that imagining things is my job.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/i-spend-a-lot-of-time-imagining-things-in-fact-you-could-say-that/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) > [Working with CGI is more like doing theater where your sort of imagining things. I didn't experience it as restrictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/working-with-cgi-is-more-like-doing-theater-where-your-sort-of/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) > [I want to support young girls who are in their 20s now and tell them: You're not just imagining things. It's tough. Everything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bjork/i-want-to-support-young-girls-who-are-in-their-20s-now-and-tell-them/) [Bjork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bjork/) > [When I was a little kid, I loved imagining things. I'd go outside and put on a cape and just imagine I was somebody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haley-joel-osment/when-i-was-a-little-kid-i-loved-imagining-things-i-d-go-outside-and/) [Haley Joel Osment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haley-joel-osment/) > [Sometimes, I spend my time imagining things that will never happen in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-i-spend-my-time-imagining-things-that-will-never-happen-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We're professional worriers. You're constantly imagining things that could go wrong and then writing about them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/we-re-professional-worriers-you-re-constantly-imagining-things-that/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Your mistake was not in imagining things you could not know—that is, after all, what imagination is for. Rather, your mistake was in unthinkingly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-gilbert/your-mistake-was-not-in-imagining-things-you-could-not-know-that-is/) [Daniel Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-gilbert/) > [“You're not the only one who copes by imagining things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/you-re-not-the-only-one-who-copes-by-imagining-things/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [But the worst of imagining things is that the time comes when you have to stop and that hurts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-the-worst-of-imagining-things-is-that-the-time-comes-when-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everything that a guy says once, you have to say five times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bjork/everything-that-a-guy-says-once-you-have-to-say-five-times/) [Bjork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bjork/) > [Before I go to sleep, I start imagining things that I would like to happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/before-i-go-to-sleep-i-start-imagining-things-that-i-would-like-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 21 Imagining things quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagining-things/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Imagine this—what if Leonardo DaVinci’s parents told him he should stop imagining things? 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