--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Research the imagination. It was as…" description: "\"Research the imagination. It was as obsolete as the appendix in most adults, except for those in whom, like the appendix, it became inflamed for no rea..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/patricia-a-mckillip-5203_adults_research-the-imagination-it-was-as-obsol_2484504.png" --- # Research the imagination. It was as obsolete as the… ![“Research the imagination. It was as obsolete as the appendix in most adults, except for those in whom, like the appendix, it became inflamed for no reason.” quote by Patricia A. McKillip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/patricia-a-mckillip-5203_adults_research-the-imagination-it-was-as-obsol_2484504.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/patricia-a-mckillip-5203_adults_research-the-imagination-it-was-as-obsol_2484504.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/patricia-a-mckillip-5203_adults_research-the-imagination-it-was-as-obsol_2484504.png) > “Research the imagination. It was as obsolete as the appendix in most adults, except for those in whom, like the appendix, it became inflamed for no reason.” [Patricia A. McKillip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Imagination is often dismissed as useless, yet it can flare up irrationally, causing unnecessary distress. **In simple terms:** Imagination seems useless but can flare up unexpectedly. Key Takeaway Value imagination even when it feels irrational. Themes creativity psychology human nature Mood reflective inquisitive Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - adult education - creative writing - mental health therapy - innovation workshops Key Concepts cognitive bias emotional regulation Questions to Reflect On - How do you nurture imagination despite practical pressures? - What benefits arise when you let imagination guide decisions? A Different Perspective Imagination can be suppressed by societal expectations, limiting growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adults/) [Appendix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appendix/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Obsolete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obsolete/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research/) ## Related quotes > [“She sticks to the rules, because it's all she's got. It's like her feelings dried up and they were replaced with a pile of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-valentinelli/she-sticks-to-the-rules-because-it-s-all-she-s-got-it-s-like-her/) Monica Valentinelli > [Love is an obsolete emotion, ranking in usefulness somewhere between earwigs and toe mold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/love-is-an-obsolete-emotion-ranking-in-usefulness-somewhere-between/) [Patricia A. McKillip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/) > [A man's life is an appendix to his heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-south/a-man-s-life-is-an-appendix-to-his-heart/) [Robert South](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-south/) > [There are only two perfectly useless things in this world. One is an appendix and the other is Poincaré.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-clemenceau/there-are-only-two-perfectly-useless-things-in-this-world-one-is-an/) [Georges Clemenceau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-clemenceau/) > [The modern king has become a vermiform appendix: useless when quiet; when obtrusive, in danger of removal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-o-malley/the-modern-king-has-become-a-vermiform-appendix-useless-when-quiet/) [Austin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-o-malley/) > [It should be done with the same degree of alacrity and nonchalance that you would display in authorizing a highly intelligent trained bear to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-s-greenberg-2/it-should-be-done-with-the-same-degree-of-alacrity-and-nonchalance/) Daniel S Greenberg > [Idleness is an appendix to nobility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-burton/idleness-is-an-appendix-to-nobility/) [Robert Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-burton/) > [In the appendix to my History of the Russian Revolution I give a detailed and documented study of the ideas of the Bolshevik party…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-trotsky/in-the-appendix-to-my-history-of-the-russian-revolution-i-give-a/) [Leon Trotsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-trotsky/) > [The thinnest I've ever been was after I had my appendix out, during the London run of The Seagull. I went down to 112…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carey-mulligan/the-thinnest-i-ve-ever-been-was-after-i-had-my-appendix-out-during/) [Carey Mulligan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carey-mulligan/) > [I had my appendix out when I was 11, and that was the last time I was in a hospital. That was a one-night…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-had-my-appendix-out-when-i-was-11-and-that-was-the-last-time-i-was/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [“Appendix, Number 23. The Rutter circular.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/appendix-number-23-the-rutter-circular/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“There are only two perfectly useless things in the world,” he quipped. “One is an appendix and the other is Poincaré!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-macmillan/there-are-only-two-perfectly-useless-things-in-the-world-he-quipped/) [Margaret MacMillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-macmillan/) > [Everything before Jesus is preface. Everything after Jesus is appendix. Jesus is the story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/everything-before-jesus-is-preface-everything-after-jesus-is-appendix/) [Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/) > [\*Appendix usually means "small outgrowth from large intestine," but in this case it means "additional information accompanying main text." Or are those really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pseudonymous-bosch/appendix-usually-means-small-outgrowth-from-large-intestine-but-in/) [Pseudonymous Bosch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pseudonymous-bosch/) > [The pace of science forces the pace of technique. Theoretical physics forces atomic energy on us; the successful production of the fission bomb forces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-pace-of-science-forces-the-pace-of-technique-theoretical-physics/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) ## More by Patricia A. McKillip > [“Be patient, as you must always be patient with new pale seeds buried in the dark ground. When you are stronger, you can begin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/be-patient-as-you-must-always-be-patient-with-new-pale-seeds-buried/) [Patricia A. McKillip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/) > [“I wish you were small again, so I could hold you in my arms and comfort you. But you are grown, and you know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/i-wish-you-were-small-again-so-i-could-hold-you-in-my-arms-and/) [Patricia A. McKillip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/) > [“He exuded ambiguities she decided, that was his fascination. His mouth spoke; his eyes said something other: his smile belied everything… He played with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/he-exuded-ambiguities-she-decided-that-was-his-fascination-his-mouth/) [Patricia A. McKillip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/) > [ \[Imagination\] must be visited constantly, or else it begins to become restless and emit strange bellows at embarrassing moments; ignoring it only makes it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/imagination-must-be-visited-constantly-or-else-it-begins-to-become/) [Patricia A. McKillip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/) > [I thought of you with your hair silver as snow all through that cold, slow journey from Sirle. I felt you troubled deep within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/i-thought-of-you-with-your-hair-silver-as-snow-all-through-that-cold/) [Patricia A. McKillip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/) > [I don't teach lies, but I do not teach all I know is true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/i-don-t-teach-lies-but-i-do-not-teach-all-i-know-is-true/) [Patricia A. McKillip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/) > [“When he held a candle across the threshold, the black swallowed the fire completely. When he tried to step across it, he felt nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/when-he-held-a-candle-across-the-threshold-the-black-swallowed-the/) [Patricia A. McKillip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/) > [Do you become in visible?' 'No. I'm there, if you know how to look. I stand between the place you look at and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/do-you-become-in-visible-no-i-m-there-if-you-know-how-to-look-i-stand/) [Patricia A. McKillip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/) > [“Morgan," he whispered, "I wish you had not been someone I loved so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/morgan-he-whispered-i-wish-you-had-not-been-someone-i-loved-so/) [Patricia A. McKillip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/) > [“Tell me the story of the locket.' 'Once upon a time, my lord, in the best and the worst of all possible words, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/tell-me-the-story-of-the-locket-once-upon-a-time-my-lord-in-the-best/) [Patricia A. McKillip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/) > [Love and anger are like land and sea: They meet at many different places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/love-and-anger-are-like-land-and-sea-they-meet-at-many-different/) [Patricia A. McKillip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/) > [When you put your hands and mind and heart into the knowing of a thing ... there is no room in you for fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/when-you-put-your-hands-and-mind-and-heart-into-the-knowing-of-a/) [Patricia A. McKillip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/) > [“He finally took his harp out of the cobwebs, walked out the door, and admitted who he was: the Unforgiven.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/he-finally-took-his-harp-out-of-the-cobwebs-walked-out-the-door-and/) [Patricia A. McKillip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/) > [“He had no place in the world, he said once, therefore he could go everywhere.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/he-had-no-place-in-the-world-he-said-once-therefore-he-could-go/) [Patricia A. McKillip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/) > [“The tutor's eyelids drooped; his thoughts drained out of his face like water seeping into earth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/the-tutor-s-eyelids-drooped-his-thoughts-drained-out-of-his-face-like/) [Patricia A. McKillip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/) [Explore all 102 Patricia A. McKillip quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/) ## More Adults quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [Plainly, the environment must be a living one, directed by a higher intelligence, arranged by an adult who is prepared for his mission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/plainly-the-environment-must-be-a-living-one-directed-by-a-higher/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [Almost everywhere we find . . . the use of various coercive measures, to rid ourselves as quickly as possible of the child withinus--i.e.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/almost-everywhere-we-find-the-use-of-various-coercive-measures-to-rid/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) > [Education, for most people, means trying to lead the child to resemble the typical adult of his society . . . but for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/education-for-most-people-means-trying-to-lead-the-child-to-resemble/) [Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/) > [I do not believe in public shaming. I do believe that young adults go to college to learn things, and that this process will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-do-not-believe-in-public-shaming-i-do-believe-that-young-adults-go/) [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) > [The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance”: “The differences between expert performers and normal adults are not immutable, that is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-anders-ericsson/the-role-of-deliberate-practice-in-the-acquisition-of-expert/) K. Anders Ericsson > [Part of life is doing stuff that you don't want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/one-who-does-not-wish-to-be-named/part-of-life-is-doing-stuff-that-you-don-t-want-to-do/) One Who Does Not Wish To Be Named > [ He \[an earnest young reporter\] seemed to share the view of many intelligent, well-educated, well-meaning people that, while adult literature may aim to be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-paterson/he-an-earnest-young-reporter-seemed-to-share-the-view-of-many/) [Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-paterson/) > [Kids, if anything, are harder to write for because they are a more discerning audience. They will not stay with you if you go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/kids-if-anything-are-harder-to-write-for-because-they-are-a-more/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [On the one hand, we had great filmic spectacles that brought in big audiences, adults as well as primary and secondary school students. On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrzej-wajda/on-the-one-hand-we-had-great-filmic-spectacles-that-brought-in-big/) [Andrzej Wajda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrzej-wajda/) > [It's hard to change adults, and it's hard to change it from a political position or a perceived political position.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/it-s-hard-to-change-adults-and-it-s-hard-to-change-it-from-a/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [When I was a child at sixteen, I was just a child. All sixteen year-olds are just children. As much as we like them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-abagnale/when-i-was-a-child-at-sixteen-i-was-just-a-child-all-sixteen-year/) [Frank Abagnale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-abagnale/) [Browse all 3,113 Adults quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adults/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Research the imagination. It was as obsolete as the appendix in most adults, except for those in whom, like the appendix, it became inflamed for no reason.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Patricia A. McKillip" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/research-the-imagination-it-was-as-obsolete-as-the-appendix-in-most/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adults" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/research-the-imagination-it-was-as-obsolete-as-the-appendix-in-most/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/patricia-a-mckillip-5203_adults_research-the-imagination-it-was-as-obsol_2484504.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/patricia-a-mckillip-5203_adults_research-the-imagination-it-was-as-obsol_2484504.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/patricia-a-mckillip-5203_adults_research-the-imagination-it-was-as-obsol_2484504.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Research the imagination. It was as obsolete as the appendix in most adults, except for those in whom, like…” — Patricia A. McKillip", "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": "Patricia A. McKillip", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Research the imagination. It was as...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/research-the-imagination-it-was-as-obsolete-as-the-appendix-in-most/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/research-the-imagination-it-was-as-obsolete-as-the-appendix-in-most/#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 } } ] } ```