---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you can't imagine it, you sure as hell…"
description: "\"If you can't imagine it, you sure as hell are never going to see it.\" — Paul Keating"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d5/paul-keating-8731_going_if-you-can-t-imagine-it-you-sure-as-hell_2166777.png"
---

#  If you can't imagine it, you sure as hell are never going…

![“If you can't imagine it, you sure as hell are never going to see it.” quote by Paul Keating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d5/paul-keating-8731_going_if-you-can-t-imagine-it-you-sure-as-hell_2166777.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d5/paul-keating-8731_going_if-you-can-t-imagine-it-you-sure-as-hell_2166777.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d5/paul-keating-8731_going_if-you-can-t-imagine-it-you-sure-as-hell_2166777.png)

> “If you can't imagine it, you sure as hell are never going to see it.”

[Paul Keating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-keating/)

## About This Quote

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

If you cannot envision something, you will never achieve it; imagination is a prerequisite for creation.

**In simple terms:** You must imagine before you can create.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate imagination to drive action.

Themes

innovation vision creativity

Mood

motivational pragmatic

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- business strategy
- artistic projects
- scientific research

Key Concepts

future thinking mental modeling goal setting

Questions to Reflect On

- What steps turn imagination into reality?
- How do you overcome fear of the unknown?

A Different Perspective

Imagination alone isn’t enough without execution.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Hell Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell-going/) [Imagine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagine/) [Imagine Sure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagine-sure-4621836/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/see/) [Sure Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sure-hell-426065/)

## Related quotes

> [If you're going through hell keep on going don't slow down if you're scared don't show it you might get out before the devil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-re-going-through-hell-keep-on-going-don-t-slow-down-if-you-re/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I can't afford the kind of love you own But I sure as hell can't ever let you go Every time I start to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silent/i-can-t-afford-the-kind-of-love-you-own-but-i-sure-as-hell-can-t-ever/)

[Silent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silent/)

> [When I first saw you I fell in love. And even though you didn't see me, I sure as hell saw you...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-i-first-saw-you-i-fell-in-love-and-even-though-you-didn-t-see-me/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“If I can't be the best, I sure as hell can be the worst.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-jafari/if-i-can-t-be-the-best-i-sure-as-hell-can-be-the-worst/)

[Jon Jafari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-jafari/)

> [“She couldn’t find her shirt, but she sure as hell found her gun.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-laurenston/she-couldn-t-find-her-shirt-but-she-sure-as-hell-found-her-gun/)

[Shelly Laurenston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelly-laurenston/)

> [“I knew it wouldn't always be this easy. But it sure as hell would be a good time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-clayton/i-knew-it-wouldn-t-always-be-this-easy-but-it-sure-as-hell-would-be-a/)

[Alice Clayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-clayton/)

> [“Sure as hell didn't se that one coming.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/sure-as-hell-didn-t-se-that-one-coming/)

[Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/)

> [Heroin may be bad, but it sure as hell hasn't hurt my CD collection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/heroin-may-be-bad-but-it-sure-as-hell-hasn-t-hurt-my-cd-collection/)

[Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/)

> [“It’s not love, but it sure as hell is the best sex ever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-french/it-s-not-love-but-it-sure-as-hell-is-the-best-sex-ever/)

[Kitty French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-french/)

> [It sure is hell to be president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman-2/it-sure-is-hell-to-be-president/)

[Harry S Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman-2/)

> [If u cant hadnle me at my worst than u sure as hell cant handle me at my best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/if-u-cant-hadnle-me-at-my-worst-than-u-sure-as-hell-cant-handle-me-at/)

[Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/)

> [You dont get to have me, not my body and sure as hell not my heart, were done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-davis/you-dont-get-to-have-me-not-my-body-and-sure-as-hell-not-my-heart/)

[Brooke Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-davis/)

> [“If you talk behind my back. You can be sure as hell I'm gonna break yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/young-problems/if-you-talk-behind-my-back-you-can-be-sure-as-hell-i-m-gonna-break/)

[Young Problems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/young-problems/)

> [I might not have the determination, but I sure as hell have the strength to determinate anything. No matter my challenges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-farineau/i-might-not-have-the-determination-but-i-sure-as-hell-have-the/)

[Amanda Farineau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-farineau/)

> [I ain't near perfect but I'm sure as hell worth it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney/i-ain-t-near-perfect-but-i-m-sure-as-hell-worth-it/)

[Sydney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney/)

## More by Paul Keating

> [Good economics is good politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-keating/good-economics-is-good-politics/)

[Paul Keating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-keating/)

> [One of the inevitable aspects of debates about euthanasia is the reluctance on the part of advocates to confront the essence of what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-keating/one-of-the-inevitable-aspects-of-debates-about-euthanasia-is-the/)

[Paul Keating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-keating/)

> [I think the rise of China is one of the great events of all economic and human history, and I think this will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-keating/i-think-the-rise-of-china-is-one-of-the-great-events-of-all-economic/)

[Paul Keating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-keating/)

> [I always believed in burning up the government's political capital, not being Mr Safe Guy, you know?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-keating/i-always-believed-in-burning-up-the-government-s-political-capital/)

[Paul Keating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-keating/)

> [You get one chance to do something about native title. You get perhaps one chance in your life to do something about a republic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-keating/you-get-one-chance-to-do-something-about-native-title-you-get-perhaps/)

[Paul Keating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-keating/)

> [We took the traditional lands and smashed the traditional way of life. We brought the disasters. The alcohol. We committed the murders. We took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-keating/we-took-the-traditional-lands-and-smashed-the-traditional-way-of-life/)

[Paul Keating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-keating/)

> [The death of Malcolm Fraser underwrites a great loss to Australia. Notwithstanding a controversial prime ministership, in later years he harboured one abiding and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-keating/the-death-of-malcolm-fraser-underwrites-a-great-loss-to-australia/)

[Paul Keating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-keating/)

> [One is left with the thought that given the way we now abuse the ocean and abuse the climate that we are heading towards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-keating/one-is-left-with-the-thought-that-given-the-way-we-now-abuse-the/)

[Paul Keating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-keating/)

> [For John Howard to get to any high moral ground he would have to first climb out of the volcanic hole he's dug for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-keating/for-john-howard-to-get-to-any-high-moral-ground-he-would-have-to/)

[Paul Keating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-keating/)

> [I think Australia has to be a country which has the 'Welcome' sign out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-keating/i-think-australia-has-to-be-a-country-which-has-the-welcome-sign-out/)

[Paul Keating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-keating/)

> [The lesson of the Federation should be that the lesson is over. Australia must have a new idea of itself. We have to strike…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-keating/the-lesson-of-the-federation-should-be-that-the-lesson-is-over/)

[Paul Keating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-keating/)

> [Well, frenetic activity in the end suiting journos, running at the behest of little press secretaries does not pay off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-keating/well-frenetic-activity-in-the-end-suiting-journos-running-at-the/)

[Paul Keating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-keating/)

> [I try to use the Australian idiom to its maximum advantage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-keating/i-try-to-use-the-australian-idiom-to-its-maximum-advantage/)

[Paul Keating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-keating/)

> [The only reward in a public life is public progress. You stand back and say, 'What did I get out of it?' You look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-keating/the-only-reward-in-a-public-life-is-public-progress-you-stand-back/)

[Paul Keating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-keating/)

> [Row with Malaysia Prime Minister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-keating/row-with-malaysia-prime-minister/)

[Paul Keating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-keating/)

[Explore all 77 Paul Keating quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-keating/)

## More Going quotes

> [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/)

[Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/)

> [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/)

[Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/)

> [At the very beginning, I was a page at Letterman, and I freelanced for any place that would let me write any word. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-schwartz/at-the-very-beginning-i-was-a-page-at-letterman-and-i-freelanced-for/)

[Ben Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-schwartz/)

> [Keep the faith, and keep going strong!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-virtue/keep-the-faith-and-keep-going-strong/)

[Doreen Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-virtue/)

> [Nobody has a crystal ball, and part of evolving a business plan is to say, 'I might have said we're going left, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kavanaugh/nobody-has-a-crystal-ball-and-part-of-evolving-a-business-plan-is-to/)

[Ryan Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-kavanaugh/)

> [Think of these things, whence you came, where you are going, and to whom you must account.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/think-of-these-things-whence-you-came-where-you-are-going-and-to-whom/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [I really enjoy going to play for the national team and be with the guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedi-osman/i-really-enjoy-going-to-play-for-the-national-team-and-be-with-the/)

[Cedi Osman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedi-osman/)

> [“I’m not even going to ask you where you got that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mackey/i-m-not-even-going-to-ask-you-where-you-got-that/)

[Mark Mackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mackey/)

> [This is how McGregor is, waging mental warfare before the fights. There's no way that guy is going to get in my head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-mendes/this-is-how-mcgregor-is-waging-mental-warfare-before-the-fights-there/)

[Chad Mendes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-mendes/)

> [For me, going to Minneapolis is like going to Mecca.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-pastis/for-me-going-to-minneapolis-is-like-going-to-mecca/)

[Stephan Pastis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-pastis/)

> [It's going to be used in the last days to get people to come against Christ, and that's the issue: they come against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-lahaye/it-s-going-to-be-used-in-the-last-days-to-get-people-to-come-against/)

[Tim LaHaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-lahaye/)

> [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/)

[Ryan Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-newman/)

> [What I do miss that I don't get anymore? You're going to think I'm crazy, but you want the truth, so here it is.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-mandrell/what-i-do-miss-that-i-don-t-get-anymore-you-re-going-to-think-i-m/)

[Barbara Mandrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-mandrell/)

> [Any position I was going to be in, I was going to make the best of it. I always do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bledsoe/any-position-i-was-going-to-be-in-i-was-going-to-make-the-best-of-it/)

[Eric Bledsoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bledsoe/)

> [I want to help people struggling with whatever it is they're going through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santan-dave/i-want-to-help-people-struggling-with-whatever-it-is-they-re-going/)

[Santan Dave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santan-dave/)

[Browse all 15,485 Going quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "If you can't imagine it, you sure as hell are never going to see it.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Paul Keating"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-keating/if-you-can-t-imagine-it-you-sure-as-hell-are-never-going-to-see-it/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Going"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-keating/if-you-can-t-imagine-it-you-sure-as-hell-are-never-going-to-see-it/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d5/paul-keating-8731_going_if-you-can-t-imagine-it-you-sure-as-hell_2166777.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d5/paul-keating-8731_going_if-you-can-t-imagine-it-you-sure-as-hell_2166777.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d5/paul-keating-8731_going_if-you-can-t-imagine-it-you-sure-as-hell_2166777.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If you can't imagine it, you sure as hell are never going to see it.” — Paul Keating",
                "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": "Paul Keating",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-keating/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "If you can't imagine it, you...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-keating/if-you-can-t-imagine-it-you-sure-as-hell-are-never-going-to-see-it/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-keating/if-you-can-t-imagine-it-you-sure-as-hell-are-never-going-to-see-it/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
