--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: 'Monsters,' everybody has the thought of…" description: "\"'Monsters,' everybody has the thought of monsters in your closet as a kid, and more importantly, the idea of becoming a parent. We're always kind of lo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9e/pete-docter-7914_always_monsters-everybody-has-the-thought-of-mo_2068448.jpg" --- # 'Monsters,' everybody has the thought of monsters in your… ![“'Monsters,' everybody has the thought of monsters in your closet as a kid, and more importantly, the idea of becoming a parent. We're always kind of looking for those emotional nuggets. They're always at the heart of the story.” quote by Pete Docter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9e/pete-docter-7914_always_monsters-everybody-has-the-thought-of-mo_2068448.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9e/pete-docter-7914_always_monsters-everybody-has-the-thought-of-mo_2068448.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9e/pete-docter-7914_always_monsters-everybody-has-the-thought-of-mo_2068448.jpg) > “'Monsters,' everybody has the thought of monsters in your closet as a kid, and more importantly, the idea of becoming a parent. We're always kind of looking for those emotional nuggets. They're always at the heart of the story.” [Pete Docter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-docter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Monsters symbolize childhood fears and parental anxieties, serving as emotional core of storytelling. **In simple terms:** Monsters represent deep emotional themes. Key Takeaway Use symbolic fears to deepen narrative impact. Themes storytelling psychology fear Mood creative introspective Type artistic psychological When to use this quote - screenwriting - animation - therapy - education Key Concepts mythology film studies emotional design Questions to Reflect On - How do personal fears shape creative work? - What emotional nuggets resonate most with audiences? A Different Perspective Risk of over‑literal interpretation of metaphor. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Always](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) [Becoming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/becoming/) [Becoming a parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/becoming-a-parent/) [Closet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/closet/) [Closet Kid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/closet-kid-3982402/) [Emotional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotional/) [Everybody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everybody/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea/) [Importantly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/importantly/) [Kid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kid/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Looking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looking/) [Monsters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monsters/) [Monsters Closet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monsters-closet-3244838/) [Monsters Everybody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monsters-everybody-3982401/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Those](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/those/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) [Thought Monsters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-monsters-3896934/) [Your](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/your/) ## Related quotes > [“I'm like any other kid; I've seen the monsters in the closet and under the bed. The only difference between me and other kids…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-cornwell-jordan/i-m-like-any-other-kid-i-ve-seen-the-monsters-in-the-closet-and-under/) [Michelle Cornwell-Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-cornwell-jordan/) > [“They wanted us to change," said Tetsuo. "They came to our planet and they wouldn't shut up about fluid overlays and unhierarchical forms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-richardson/they-wanted-us-to-change-said-tetsuo-they-came-to-our-planet-and-they/) [Leonard Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-richardson/) > [I hate it when I'm in the dark and my brain is like hey you know what we havent thought about in a while?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-hate-it-when-i-m-in-the-dark-and-my-brain-is-like-hey-you-know-what/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I am the blood of the dragon, she thought. If they are monsters, so am I.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/i-am-the-blood-of-the-dragon-she-thought-if-they-are-monsters-so-am-i/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [Becoming a parent erased many of my negative childhood feelings and filled them in with something new.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariska-hargitay/becoming-a-parent-erased-many-of-my-negative-childhood-feelings-and/) [Mariska Hargitay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariska-hargitay/) > [“Dying, in other words — like combat, like becoming a parent, like any transformative life event — doesn’t always reveal or intensify aspects of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-senior/dying-in-other-words-like-combat-like-becoming-a-parent-like-any/) [Jennifer Senior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-senior/) > [One thing I always want to clear up was the notion that I 'took time off to have a baby.' A lot people leapt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geena-davis/one-thing-i-always-want-to-clear-up-was-the-notion-that-i-took-time/) [Geena Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geena-davis/) > [I think that becoming a parent kind of made me try to be more responsible. And it made me much more stressful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etgar-keret/i-think-that-becoming-a-parent-kind-of-made-me-try-to-be-more/) [Etgar Keret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etgar-keret/) > [You know, I think becoming a parent has really changed the way that I feel impacted by what's going on in the world around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anoushka-shankar/you-know-i-think-becoming-a-parent-has-really-changed-the-way-that-i/) [Anoushka Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anoushka-shankar/) > [The amazing thing about becoming a parent is that you will never again be your own first priority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-wilde/the-amazing-thing-about-becoming-a-parent-is-that-you-will-never/) [Olivia Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-wilde/) > [A moral society will not set standards for becoming a parent, but it will establish irreducible minimums for maintaining that sacred status.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-vachss/a-moral-society-will-not-set-standards-for-becoming-a-parent-but-it/) [Andrew Vachss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-vachss/) > [“Life, Rose well knew, could throw some hard punches at you, but nothing hurt as much as losing a child, or seeing one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-donnelly/life-rose-well-knew-could-throw-some-hard-punches-at-you-but-nothing/) [Jennifer Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-donnelly/) > [I don't have a fear of becoming a parent, but I do have a fear of taking care of a newborn because they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsay-price/i-don-t-have-a-fear-of-becoming-a-parent-but-i-do-have-a-fear-of/) [Lindsay Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsay-price/) > [Fathering is not something perfect men do, but something that perfects the man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-pittman/fathering-is-not-something-perfect-men-do-but-something-that-perfects/) [Frank Pittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-pittman/) > [There comes a point in life when fun no longer means clubbing, drinking or being out till 4am, or thinking about yourself! Fun means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zabi/there-comes-a-point-in-life-when-fun-no-longer-means-clubbing/) [Zabi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zabi/) ## More by Pete Docter > [Well, we try to - we definitely try to have a balance. And I think things have gotten a lot better at Pixar. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-docter/well-we-try-to-we-definitely-try-to-have-a-balance-and-i-think-things/) [Pete Docter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-docter/) > [It's, like, you know, if you're sad, it's a way of connecting with other people. And we - a lot of times we sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-docter/it-s-like-you-know-if-you-re-sad-it-s-a-way-of-connecting-with-other/) [Pete Docter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-docter/) > [The drive of the story is sort of hinted at the beginning, is Joy and Sadness and those two characters. Especially Joy starting to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-docter/the-drive-of-the-story-is-sort-of-hinted-at-the-beginning-is-joy-and/) [Pete Docter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-docter/) > [The way we work at Pixar is we write the script, but then we quickly move on into story reel, which is basically like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-docter/the-way-we-work-at-pixar-is-we-write-the-script-but-then-we-quickly/) [Pete Docter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-docter/) > [In the end, passion and hard work beats out natural talent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-docter/in-the-end-passion-and-hard-work-beats-out-natural-talent/) [Pete Docter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-docter/) > [People are funny -- they are able to project personality onto anything. I remember as a kid I spent a $ 5 bill once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-docter/people-are-funny-they-are-able-to-project-personality-onto-anything-i/) [Pete Docter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-docter/) > [Little kids definitely have desires and jealousy. There are some emotions that don't show up at birth, but by three or four, they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-docter/little-kids-definitely-have-desires-and-jealousy-there-are-some/) [Pete Docter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-docter/) > [I always feel like if you have a smaller crew, you can not only get to know the individual strengths of people more specifically,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-docter/i-always-feel-like-if-you-have-a-smaller-crew-you-can-not-only-get-to/) [Pete Docter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-docter/) > ['Toy Story' we found, sorta by accident, because we didn't know what we were doing, the idea of being replaced by somebody. Everybody has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-docter/toy-story-we-found-sorta-by-accident-because-we-didn-t-know-what-we/) [Pete Docter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-docter/) > [It might have been introduced slowly over the course of the years as you recall this memory over and over. So that was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-docter/it-might-have-been-introduced-slowly-over-the-course-of-the-years-as/) [Pete Docter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-docter/) > [And in part that's good but then, like any emotion - and this is something we learned from the research as well - there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-docter/and-in-part-that-s-good-but-then-like-any-emotion-and-this-is/) [Pete Docter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-docter/) > [If you were feeling sad right now and you recall a sad - or, a very happy memory from the past, it will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-docter/if-you-were-feeling-sad-right-now-and-you-recall-a-sad-or-a-very/) [Pete Docter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-docter/) > [Anger is about fairness. If it feels that you're getting ripped off or taken advantage of, that's when anger comes up. Sadness deals with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-docter/anger-is-about-fairness-if-it-feels-that-you-re-getting-ripped-off-or/) [Pete Docter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-docter/) > [Yeah, to bring families together I need to go away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-docter/yeah-to-bring-families-together-i-need-to-go-away/) [Pete Docter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-docter/) > [I like doing everything. That's why I came to Pixar, as opposed to Disney or any other studio - it's small. At the time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-docter/i-like-doing-everything-that-s-why-i-came-to-pixar-as-opposed-to/) [Pete Docter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-docter/) [Explore all 86 Pete Docter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-docter/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) [Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "'Monsters,' everybody has the thought of monsters in your closet as a kid, and more importantly, the idea of becoming a parent. We're always kind of looking for those emotional nuggets. They're always at the heart of the story.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Pete Docter" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-docter/monsters-everybody-has-the-thought-of-monsters-in-your-closet-as-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Always" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-docter/monsters-everybody-has-the-thought-of-monsters-in-your-closet-as-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9e/pete-docter-7914_always_monsters-everybody-has-the-thought-of-mo_2068448.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9e/pete-docter-7914_always_monsters-everybody-has-the-thought-of-mo_2068448.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9e/pete-docter-7914_always_monsters-everybody-has-the-thought-of-mo_2068448.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“'Monsters,' everybody has the thought of monsters in your closet as a kid, and more importantly, the idea of…” — Pete Docter", "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": "Pete Docter", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-docter/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "'Monsters,' everybody has the thought of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-docter/monsters-everybody-has-the-thought-of-monsters-in-your-closet-as-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-docter/monsters-everybody-has-the-thought-of-monsters-in-your-closet-as-a/#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 } } ] } ```