--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some were paid solely for their ability…" description: "\"Some were paid solely for their ability to dream up the unthinkable.\" — Olen Steinhauer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f86/olen-steinhauer-38173_ability_some-were-paid-solely-for-their-ability_38403.png" --- # Some were paid solely for their ability to dream up the… ![“Some were paid solely for their ability to dream up the unthinkable.” quote by Olen Steinhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f86/olen-steinhauer-38173_ability_some-were-paid-solely-for-their-ability_38403.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f86/olen-steinhauer-38173_ability_some-were-paid-solely-for-their-ability_38403.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f86/olen-steinhauer-38173_ability_some-were-paid-solely-for-their-ability_38403.png) > “Some were paid solely for their ability to dream up the unthinkable.” [Olen Steinhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olen-steinhauer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Highlights that certain individuals are valued not for execution but for their capacity to imagine radically new possibilities. **In simple terms:** Visionary imagination is a marketable skill. Key Takeaway Imagination can be a primary commodity. Themes creativity innovation value of ideas visionary thinking risk-taking Mood inspired optimistic curious Type observation statement insight When to use this quote - brainstorming sessions - R&D teams - entrepreneurial pitches - creative workshops - strategic planning Key Concepts imagination strategic foresight market value Practical Applications - identifying breakthrough concepts - guiding product direction Questions to Reflect On - How can organizations reward imaginative talent? - What mechanisms ensure ideas become actionable? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Ability Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability-dream-258806/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dream Unthinkable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream-unthinkable-448328/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Paid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paid/) [Paid Solely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paid-solely-448329/) [Solely Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solely-ability-448330/) [Unthinkable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unthinkable/) ## Related quotes > [Please do not lose the ability to dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/please-do-not-lose-the-ability-to-dream/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [I have my parents to keep me in check, a team that loves me, and I have the ability to go out there, dream,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-ortega/i-have-my-parents-to-keep-me-in-check-a-team-that-loves-me-and-i-have/) [Brian Ortega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-ortega/) > [To dream magnificently is not a gift given to all men, and even for those who possess it, it runs a strong risk of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baudelaire/to-dream-magnificently-is-not-a-gift-given-to-all-men-and-even-for/) [Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baudelaire/) > [The ability to dream is all I have to give. That is my responsibility; that is my burden. And even I grow tired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harlan-ellison/the-ability-to-dream-is-all-i-have-to-give-that-is-my-responsibility/) [Harlan Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harlan-ellison/) > [“For me the greatest secret of the Universe is our ability to dream”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mbarreto-condado/for-me-the-greatest-secret-of-the-universe-is-our-ability-to-dream/) [MBarreto Condado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mbarreto-condado/) > [“We stop being humane when we lose the ability to dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/primadonna-angela/we-stop-being-humane-when-we-lose-the-ability-to-dream/) [Primadonna Angela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/primadonna-angela/) > [Acting is the ability to dream on cue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-richardson/acting-is-the-ability-to-dream-on-cue/) [Ralph Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-richardson/) > [What would be achieved ever if people lost the ability to dream?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-albrand/what-would-be-achieved-ever-if-people-lost-the-ability-to-dream/) [Martha Albrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-albrand/) > [Don't let the low standards and expectations of the world and others cause you to aim beneath your nobility and ability-dream big! What I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-s-dalton/don-t-let-the-low-standards-and-expectations-of-the-world-and-others/) [Elaine S. Dalton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-s-dalton/) > [“...a man’s ability to dream is the most sincere form of ambition he has in his arsenal, and the only true glimmer of one’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-matthes/a-man-s-ability-to-dream-is-the-most-sincere-form-of-ambition-he-has/) [Dave Matthes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-matthes/) > [Don't let the low standards and expectations of the world cause you to aim beneath your nobility and ability dream big!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-let-the-low-standards-and-expectations-of-the-world-cause-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“if God gave you the ability to dream, he also gave you the ability to achieve that very same dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-terry/if-god-gave-you-the-ability-to-dream-he-also-gave-you-the-ability-to/) [Sean Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-terry/) > [We're in the world of creating illusions and giving people the ability to dream and to be inspired or moved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madonna-ciccone/we-re-in-the-world-of-creating-illusions-and-giving-people-the/) [Madonna Ciccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madonna-ciccone/) > [I guess what makes us beautiful is our ability to dream, to dare, to love, to grow and to have a fucking amazing time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-guess-what-makes-us-beautiful-is-our-ability-to-dream-to-dare-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Though an atom is invisible, unthinkable, yet in it are the whole power and potency of the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/though-an-atom-is-invisible-unthinkable-yet-in-it-are-the-whole-power/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) ## More by Olen Steinhauer > [“He was drunk, but this was something he’d thought about for a long time and needed no sobriety to express—just a listener.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olen-steinhauer/he-was-drunk-but-this-was-something-he-d-thought-about-for-a-long/) [Olen Steinhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olen-steinhauer/) > [“ARTISTS OF THE WORLD, UNITE!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olen-steinhauer/artists-of-the-world-unite/) [Olen Steinhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olen-steinhauer/) > [People are all the same. We need a personal reason to get our asses off the couch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olen-steinhauer/people-are-all-the-same-we-need-a-personal-reason-to-get-our-asses/) [Olen Steinhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olen-steinhauer/) > [“When he woke his conviction of failure was somehow less inevitable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olen-steinhauer/when-he-woke-his-conviction-of-failure-was-somehow-less-inevitable/) [Olen Steinhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olen-steinhauer/) > [“It feels like we’re holding on to something because we want to believe it,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olen-steinhauer/it-feels-like-we-re-holding-on-to-something-because-we-want-to/) [Olen Steinhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olen-steinhauer/) > [“The jacket,” Milo repeated, and Grainger gave him a sour look before stretching an arm into his blazer. They”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olen-steinhauer/the-jacket-milo-repeated-and-grainger-gave-him-a-sour-look-before/) [Olen Steinhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olen-steinhauer/) > [“Russian?" I asked dumbly. I do that sometimes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olen-steinhauer/russian-i-asked-dumbly-i-do-that-sometimes/) [Olen Steinhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olen-steinhauer/) > [“Later, once they had returned to Boston and gained some perspective, she would see that this was part and parcel of extremist thought the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olen-steinhauer/later-once-they-had-returned-to-boston-and-gained-some-perspective/) [Olen Steinhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olen-steinhauer/) > [Without balance, a life is no longer worth the effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olen-steinhauer/without-balance-a-life-is-no-longer-worth-the-effort/) [Olen Steinhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olen-steinhauer/) > [“Do not always assume motive where human error will suffice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olen-steinhauer/do-not-always-assume-motive-where-human-error-will-suffice/) [Olen Steinhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olen-steinhauer/) > [“anywhere. There could be no new world, John”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olen-steinhauer/anywhere-there-could-be-no-new-world-john/) [Olen Steinhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olen-steinhauer/) [Explore all 12 Olen Steinhauer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olen-steinhauer/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Some were paid solely for their ability to dream up the unthinkable.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Olen Steinhauer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olen-steinhauer/some-were-paid-solely-for-their-ability-to-dream-up-the-unthinkable/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olen-steinhauer/some-were-paid-solely-for-their-ability-to-dream-up-the-unthinkable/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f86/olen-steinhauer-38173_ability_some-were-paid-solely-for-their-ability_38403.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f86/olen-steinhauer-38173_ability_some-were-paid-solely-for-their-ability_38403.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f86/olen-steinhauer-38173_ability_some-were-paid-solely-for-their-ability_38403.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Some were paid solely for their ability to dream up the unthinkable.” — Olen Steinhauer", "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": "Olen Steinhauer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olen-steinhauer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Some were paid solely for their...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olen-steinhauer/some-were-paid-solely-for-their-ability-to-dream-up-the-unthinkable/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olen-steinhauer/some-were-paid-solely-for-their-ability-to-dream-up-the-unthinkable/#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 } } ] } ```