--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you can dream - and not make dreams…" description: "\"“If you can dream - and not make dreams your master; If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f56/rudyard-kipling-527_dreams_if-you-can-dream-and-not-make-dreams-you_2788454.png" --- # If you can dream - and not make dreams your master; If you… ![“If you can dream - and not make dreams your master; If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same;” quote by Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f56/rudyard-kipling-527_dreams_if-you-can-dream-and-not-make-dreams-you_2788454.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f56/rudyard-kipling-527_dreams_if-you-can-dream-and-not-make-dreams-you_2788454.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f56/rudyard-kipling-527_dreams_if-you-can-dream-and-not-make-dreams-you_2788454.png) > ““If you can dream - and not make dreams your master; If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same;”” [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Balanced mastery over aspirations and setbacks, treating both equally without letting either dominate one's purpose. **In simple terms:** Stay level‑headed despite success or failure. Key Takeaway Maintain composure and focus. Themes resilience balance self‑control Mood determined reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - career challenges - personal setbacks - creative projects - leadership decisions Key Concepts Stoicism mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay motivated after a failure? - What practices keep you grounded in success? A Different Perspective Over‑emphasis on detachment can lead to apathy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Dreams Master](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams-master-1336301/) [Impostors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impostors-504616/) [Make Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-dreams-289672/) [Master Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/master-think-651182/) [Treat Impostors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treat-impostors-571953/) ## Related quotes > [If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/if-you-can-meet-with-triumph-and-disaster-and-treat-those-two/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [“If you can dream - and not make dreams your master; If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/if-you-can-dream-and-not-make-dreams-your-master-if-you-can-think-and-2/) [david icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) > [If you can wait, and not be tired by waiting ... if you can dream, and not make dreams your master; if you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/if-you-can-wait-and-not-be-tired-by-waiting-if-you-can-dream-and-not/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [“If you can connect with Triumph and Disaster; And treat those impostors just the same”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-pasricha/if-you-can-connect-with-triumph-and-disaster-and-treat-those/) [Neil Pasricha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-pasricha/) > [If you can dream - and not make dreams your master.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/if-you-can-dream-and-not-make-dreams-your-master/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [If you can meet success and failure and treat them both as impostors, then you are a balanced man, my son.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/if-you-can-meet-success-and-failure-and-treat-them-both-as-impostors/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [Both triumph and disaster are impostors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/both-triumph-and-disaster-are-impostors/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [“Disciple: Master, what do you think, if we could suddenly make the river in front of our temple flow in the opposite direction, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/disciple-master-what-do-you-think-if-we-could-suddenly-make-the-river/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [I don't know if I'll ever be a master at anything, but I think that's a mistake for me personally. I don't know how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/i-don-t-know-if-i-ll-ever-be-a-master-at-anything-but-i-think-that-s/) [Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/) > [No Christian ought to think of himself as his own master, but each should rather so think and act as though given by God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-basil/no-christian-ought-to-think-of-himself-as-his-own-master-but-each/) [Saint Basil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-basil/) > [“What you still need to know is this: before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/what-you-still-need-to-know-is-this-before-a-dream-is-realized-the-2/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“For years he had possessed her dreams, but she'd been the master of those dreams. Now, he possessed her memory, and there was nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-lessman/for-years-he-had-possessed-her-dreams-but-she-d-been-the-master-of/) [Julie Lessman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-lessman/) > [“What you still need to know is this: before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/what-you-still-need-to-know-is-this-before-a-dream-is-realized-the/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“What you still need to know is this: before a dream is realised, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/what-you-still-need-to-know-is-this-before-a-dream-is-realised-the/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he dreams himself your master.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pravin-lal/beware-of-he-who-would-deny-you-access-to-information-for-in-his/) [Pravin Lal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pravin-lal/) ## More by Rudyard Kipling > [Borrow trouble for yourself, if that's your nature, but don't lend it to your neighbours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/borrow-trouble-for-yourself-if-that-s-your-nature-but-don-t-lend-it/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [“I follow the Law—the Most Excellent Law.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/i-follow-the-law-the-most-excellent-law/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [Brothers and Sisters, I bid you beware Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/brothers-and-sisters-i-bid-you-beware-of-giving-your-heart-to-a-dog/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [O it's Tommy this, and Tommy that, and Tommy 'ow's your soul/But it's thin red line of heroes when the drums begin to roll.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/o-it-s-tommy-this-and-tommy-that-and-tommy-ow-s-your-soul-but-it-s/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [Believe the best of everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/believe-the-best-of-everybody/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [Oh, Adam was a gardener, and God who made him sees That half a proper gardener's work is done upon his knees, So when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/oh-adam-was-a-gardener-and-god-who-made-him-sees-that-half-a-proper/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [Adam was a gardener, and God, who made him, sees that half of all good gardening is done upon the knees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/adam-was-a-gardener-and-god-who-made-him-sees-that-half-of-all-good/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [Call a truce, then, to our labors - let us feast with friends and neighbors, and be merry as the custom of our caste;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/call-a-truce-then-to-our-labors-let-us-feast-with-friends-and/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [No one accuses the gunner of maudlin affection for anything except his beasts and his weapons. He serves as least three jealous gods-his horse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/no-one-accuses-the-gunner-of-maudlin-affection-for-anything-except/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [“One of these days, Strickland is going to write a little book on his experiences. That book will be worth buying; and even more,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/one-of-these-days-strickland-is-going-to-write-a-little-book-on-his/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [“Good work does not matter, because a man is judged by his worst output and another man takes all the credit of his best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/good-work-does-not-matter-because-a-man-is-judged-by-his-worst-output/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [“Those who kill snakes get killed by snakes, said Chuchundra, more sorrowfully than ever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/those-who-kill-snakes-get-killed-by-snakes-said-chuchundra-more/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [“Like everything else in the world, it is one man's work.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/like-everything-else-in-the-world-it-is-one-man-s-work/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [“Father Wolf looked on amazed. He had almost forgotten the days when he won Mother Wolf in fair fight from five other wolves, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/father-wolf-looked-on-amazed-he-had-almost-forgotten-the-days-when-he/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [If you want something and don't get it, there are only two reasons. You either really didn't want it, or you tried to bargain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/if-you-want-something-and-don-t-get-it-there-are-only-two-reasons-you/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) [Explore all 491 Rudyard Kipling quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) ## More Dreams quotes > [“Cine a ucis stelele? Cine a surpat drumul spre viitor al celor din morminte?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ionel-teodoreanu/cine-a-ucis-stelele-cine-a-surpat-drumul-spre-viitor-al-celor-din/) [Ionel Teodoreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ionel-teodoreanu/) > [“Once we become sensitive to dreams, we discover that every dynamic in a dream is manifesting itself in some way in our practical lives”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-johnson/once-we-become-sensitive-to-dreams-we-discover-that-every-dynamic-in/) [Robert A. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-johnson/) > [“Now you’re wet. You’re so wet you’re leaking down your ass. You’re soaking my pillow. I don’t think I’m ever washing it. I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-stoker/now-you-re-wet-you-re-so-wet-you-re-leaking-down-your-ass-you-re/) [Susan Stoker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-stoker/) > [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. Your mind is an unimaginable bloom. A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [Sometimes we wish for the feel but we never understand that we have to give a lot to get the feel !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reynolds/sometimes-we-wish-for-the-feel-but-we-never-understand-that-we-have/) [Robert Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reynolds/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [It’s so important to create in your own voice, to hold onto what makes you unique, and have faith in your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/it-s-so-important-to-create-in-your-own-voice-to-hold-onto-what-makes/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [“As dreams are the healing songs from the wilderness of our unconscious - So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes are the healing dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-pendell/as-dreams-are-the-healing-songs-from-the-wilderness-of-our/) [Dale Pendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-pendell/) > [Alone in a world, With millions of souls Walking in circles Trapped in their dreams unhealthy, unclean walking in circles, now do not disturb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-bennington/alone-in-a-world-with-millions-of-souls-walking-in-circles-trapped-in/) [Chester Bennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-bennington/) > [“Doing the work to transform your dreams into reality is like walking across the earth. It can be that hard, and it can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu/doing-the-work-to-transform-your-dreams-into-reality-is-like-walking/) [Dragos Bratasanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu/) > [As far as Im concerned, I didnt dream - ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/as-far-as-im-concerned-i-didnt-dream-ever/) [Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/) > [I guess, it's a father's dream for his daughter to be known around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-soberano/i-guess-it-s-a-father-s-dream-for-his-daughter-to-be-known-around-the/) [Liza Soberano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-soberano/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-life-seems-like-a-dream-especially-when-i-look-down-and-see/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [“I had a dream. I had an awesome dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-had-a-dream-i-had-an-awesome-dream/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 40,599 Dreams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If you can dream - and not make dreams your master; If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same;”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rudyard Kipling" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/if-you-can-dream-and-not-make-dreams-your-master-if-you-can-think-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dreams" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/if-you-can-dream-and-not-make-dreams-your-master-if-you-can-think-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f56/rudyard-kipling-527_dreams_if-you-can-dream-and-not-make-dreams-you_2788454.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f56/rudyard-kipling-527_dreams_if-you-can-dream-and-not-make-dreams-you_2788454.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f56/rudyard-kipling-527_dreams_if-you-can-dream-and-not-make-dreams-you_2788454.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you can dream - and not make dreams your master; If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim; If…” — Rudyard Kipling", "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": "Rudyard Kipling", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“If you can dream - and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/if-you-can-dream-and-not-make-dreams-your-master-if-you-can-think-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/if-you-can-dream-and-not-make-dreams-your-master-if-you-can-think-and/#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 } } ] } ```