--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only big ideas I've ever had came…" description: "\"The only big ideas I've ever had came from daydreaming, but modern life keeps people from daydreaming. Every moment of the day your mind is being occup..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/940/paul-maccready-40925_big-idea_the-only-big-ideas-i-ve-ever-had-came-fr_60009.jpg" --- # The only big ideas I've ever had came from daydreaming… ![“The only big ideas I've ever had came from daydreaming, but modern life keeps people from daydreaming. Every moment of the day your mind is being occupied, controlled by someone else - at school, at work, watching television. Getting away from all that is really important. You need to just kick…” quote by Paul MacCready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/940/paul-maccready-40925_big-idea_the-only-big-ideas-i-ve-ever-had-came-fr_60009.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/940/paul-maccready-40925_big-idea_the-only-big-ideas-i-ve-ever-had-came-fr_60009.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/940/paul-maccready-40925_big-idea_the-only-big-ideas-i-ve-ever-had-came-fr_60009.jpg) > “The only big ideas I've ever had came from daydreaming, but modern life keeps people from daydreaming. Every moment of the day your mind is being occupied, controlled by someone else - at school, at work, watching television. Getting away from all that is really important. You need to just kick back in a chair and let your mind daydream.” [Paul MacCready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-maccready/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Daydreaming fuels breakthrough ideas, yet constant external demands suppress this mental freedom, making intentional disengagement essential for creative insight. **In simple terms:** Creative insight requires mental freedom. Key Takeaway Unstructured thought sparks innovation. Themes creativity focus mental health productivity mindfulness innovation Mood reflective inspired thoughtful Type advice observation philosophical When to use this quote - after a long workday - during a commute - while waiting in line - in a quiet park - during a break Key Concepts daydreaming external control mental space creative process Practical Applications - schedule regular downtime - practice mindfulness meditation Questions to Reflect On - How can you protect mental space in a busy schedule? - What activities help you enter a daydream state? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-idea/) [Big ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-ideas/) [Every moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-moment/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Kicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kicks/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Modern life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-life/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) [Watching television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watching-television/) ## Related quotes > [I'm not the same person I was before. I say what I want, When I want & How I want! At the end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/i-m-not-the-same-person-i-was-before-i-say-what-i-want-when-i-want/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [I am interested in a lot of things - not just show business and my passion for animals. I try to keep current in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-white/i-am-interested-in-a-lot-of-things-not-just-show-business-and-my/) [Betty White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-white/) > [I remember bieng blind to it, till the day I put my mind to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-ross/i-remember-bieng-blind-to-it-till-the-day-i-put-my-mind-to-it/) [Rick Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-ross/) > [The mind has a mind of its own. It shows us pictures. Pictures of the past and the might-one-day-be. This mind's mind exerts its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/the-mind-has-a-mind-of-its-own-it-shows-us-pictures-pictures-of-the/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [My day-mind can endure / Upright, in hope, all it must undergo. / But O, afraid, unsure, / My night-mind waking lies too low, too low.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-meynell/my-day-mind-can-endure-upright-in-hope-all-it-must-undergo-but-o/) [Alice Meynell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-meynell/) > [Don t make me see what I don t want to see myself.one day my mind will let me see it .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-tech/don-t-make-me-see-what-i-don-t-want-to-see-myself-one-day-my-mind/) Tony Tech > [I remember being blind to it, til the day I put my mind to it...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-remember-being-blind-to-it-til-the-day-i-put-my-mind-to-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Every day is a good day. Your every-day mind - that is the Way!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yunmen-wenyan/every-day-is-a-good-day-your-every-day-mind-that-is-the-way/) Yunmen Wenyan > [“The day you stop learning is the day your mind starts dying.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/the-day-you-stop-learning-is-the-day-your-mind-starts-dying/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [Most people are operating out of repetition. If you come to work or school each day with the same mind-state, you probably can't get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/most-people-are-operating-out-of-repetition-if-you-come-to-work-or/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“When your day ends up , & your body realize that its bed time! , what is the first thing u think about ?!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-your-day-ends-up-your-body-realize-that-its-bed-time-what-is-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All the unhurried day / Your mind lay open like a drawer of knives,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-larkin/all-the-unhurried-day-your-mind-lay-open-like-a-drawer-of-knives/) [Philip Larkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-larkin/) > [“I go away every day in my mind. I'm free in every area that the world is trapped, but I'm trapped in all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/starlight-tucker/i-go-away-every-day-in-my-mind-i-m-free-in-every-area-that-the-world/) [Starlight Tucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/starlight-tucker/) > [The best day I ever had was when you were not on my mind, but on my side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bakare/the-best-day-i-ever-had-was-when-you-were-not-on-my-mind-but-on-my/) [Bakare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bakare/) > [All day my mind drifts off into fantasies and little stupid jokes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-pierre-jeunet/all-day-my-mind-drifts-off-into-fantasies-and-little-stupid-jokes/) [Jean-Pierre Jeunet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-pierre-jeunet/) ## More by Paul MacCready > [Anyone who's not interested in model airplanes must have a screw loose somewhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-maccready/anyone-who-s-not-interested-in-model-airplanes-must-have-a-screw/) [Paul MacCready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-maccready/) > [Suddenly, we humans - a recently arrived species, no longer subject to the checks and balances inherent in nature - have grown in population,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-maccready/suddenly-we-humans-a-recently-arrived-species-no-longer-subject-to/) [Paul MacCready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-maccready/) > [The problem is we don't understand the problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-maccready/the-problem-is-we-don-t-understand-the-problem/) [Paul MacCready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-maccready/) > [I'm more interested in a world that works than what sells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-maccready/i-m-more-interested-in-a-world-that-works-than-what-sells/) [Paul MacCready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-maccready/) > [Your grandchildren will likely find it incredible - or even sinful - that you burned up a gallon of gasoline to fetch a pack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-maccready/your-grandchildren-will-likely-find-it-incredible-or-even-sinful-that/) [Paul MacCready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-maccready/) > [We humans are basically content with a two-dimensional world, which is what we-ve always occupied. We travel mostly on the ground, have traffic jams,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-maccready/we-humans-are-basically-content-with-a-two-dimensional-world-which-is/) [Paul MacCready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-maccready/) > [We're short on wisdom; we're high on technology. Where's it going to lead?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-maccready/we-re-short-on-wisdom-we-re-high-on-technology-where-s-it-going-to/) [Paul MacCready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-maccready/) > [The surviving intelligent life form on Earth is not going to be carbon-based; it's going to be silicon-based.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-maccready/the-surviving-intelligent-life-form-on-earth-is-not-going-to-be/) [Paul MacCready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-maccready/) > [The only dumb question is the question you don't ask.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-maccready/the-only-dumb-question-is-the-question-you-don-t-ask/) [Paul MacCready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-maccready/) [Explore all 10 Paul MacCready quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-maccready/) ## More Big idea quotes > [I am not going to make promises I can't keep. I am not going to talk about big ideas like single-payer and then not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-am-not-going-to-make-promises-i-can-t-keep-i-am-not-going-to-talk/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I really like Kickstarter because you don't have to be a Medici to fund the arts and sciences or to get behind a big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gansky/i-really-like-kickstarter-because-you-don-t-have-to-be-a-medici-to/) [Lisa Gansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gansky/) > [Believe in something larger than yourself... get involved in the big ideas of your time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-bush/believe-in-something-larger-than-yourself-get-involved-in-the-big/) [Barbara Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-bush/) > [“You want the story of my life? Big ideas, small results.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-stanwyck/you-want-the-story-of-my-life-big-ideas-small-results/) [Barbara Stanwyck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-stanwyck/) > [It takes a big idea to attract the attention of consumers and get them to buy your product. Unless your advertising contains a big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/it-takes-a-big-idea-to-attract-the-attention-of-consumers-and-get/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [You will never win fame and fortune unless you invent big ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/you-will-never-win-fame-and-fortune-unless-you-invent-big-ideas/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [People laugh at me because I use big words. But if you have big ideas, you have to use big words to express them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-laugh-at-me-because-i-use-big-words-but-if-you-have-big-ideas/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All the big ideas for getting us onto a lower carbon trajectory involve a lot of people doing a lot of work, and that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/all-the-big-ideas-for-getting-us-onto-a-lower-carbon-trajectory/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [I've never been shy about big ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-x-suarez/i-ve-never-been-shy-about-big-ideas/) [Francis X. Suarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-x-suarez/) > [“The path to success involves two parts. Part One is all about imagination and dreaming up a big idea. Part Two is all about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-clark/the-path-to-success-involves-two-parts-part-one-is-all-about/) [Clay Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-clark/) > [You never know when some small thing will lead to a big idea. Travel is very inspirational - but it's in the ordinary that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-trigiani/you-never-know-when-some-small-thing-will-lead-to-a-big-idea-travel/) [Adriana Trigiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-trigiani/) > [The job of the leader is to get the big ideas right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-petraeus/the-job-of-the-leader-is-to-get-the-big-ideas-right/) [David Petraeus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-petraeus/) > [“There is a current perception is that science has overtaken Philosophy and in effect rendered Philosophy irrelevant. Science, when sufficiently abstracted, approaches Philosophy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-golway/there-is-a-current-perception-is-that-science-has-overtaken/) [Tom Golway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-golway/) > [I always tell people that revelling in big ideas for me is kind of like an antidote to existential angst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-silva/i-always-tell-people-that-revelling-in-big-ideas-for-me-is-kind-of/) [Jason Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-silva/) > [Most of us would be happy with one big idea implemented in our lifetimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-swan/most-of-us-would-be-happy-with-one-big-idea-implemented-in-our/) [Norman Swan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-swan/) [Browse all 254 Big idea quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-idea/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The only big ideas I've ever had came from daydreaming, but modern life keeps people from daydreaming. 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