--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I say the very things that make the…" description: "\"I say the very things that make the greatest StirAn' the most interestin' things, are things that did n't occur.\" — Sam Walter Foss" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/162/sam-walter-foss-28862_quote_i-say-the-very-things-that-make-the-grea_989699.jpg" --- # I say the very things that make the greatest StirAn' the… ![“I say the very things that make the greatest StirAn' the most interestin' things, are things that did n't occur.” quote by Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/162/sam-walter-foss-28862_quote_i-say-the-very-things-that-make-the-grea_989699.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/162/sam-walter-foss-28862_quote_i-say-the-very-things-that-make-the-grea_989699.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/162/sam-walter-foss-28862_quote_i-say-the-very-things-that-make-the-grea_989699.jpg) > “I say the very things that make the greatest StirAn' the most interestin' things, are things that did n't occur.” [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The most intriguing ideas often arise from imagination, not from actual events. **In simple terms:** Great ideas come from imagination. Key Takeaway Value creative thinking over literal experience. Themes creativity imagination innovation Mood thoughtful curious Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - writing - brainstorming - problem solving - teaching Key Concepts fiction ideation Questions to Reflect On - What role does imagination play in progress? - How can we test imagined ideas? A Different Perspective Imagined concepts may lack practical grounding. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [I can't say that there are 'things' that make me come alive. There are thoughts that make me come alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-can-t-say-that-there-are-things-that-make-me-come-alive-there-are/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [There are certain things that make restaurants work and a certain kind of DNA that people who excel in restaurants need. But it's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bastianich/there-are-certain-things-that-make-restaurants-work-and-a-certain/) [Joe Bastianich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bastianich/) > [Ultimately, some of these things I did not get paid for, they did not further my career, they were done just for fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-f-tompkins/ultimately-some-of-these-things-i-did-not-get-paid-for-they-did-not/) [Paul F. Tompkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-f-tompkins/) > [“Didn't life consist of the things you did each day?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/didn-t-life-consist-of-the-things-you-did-each-day/) [Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) > [The benefit of hindsight is we only really talk about those things that did work out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ive/the-benefit-of-hindsight-is-we-only-really-talk-about-those-things/) [Jonathan Ive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ive/) > [I deserve respect for the things I did not do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-quayle/i-deserve-respect-for-the-things-i-did-not-do/) [Dan Quayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-quayle/) > [Everything that exists in your life, does so because of two things: something you did or something you didn't do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/everything-that-exists-in-your-life-does-so-because-of-two-things/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [We don't have to be defined by the things that we did or didn't do in our past- Four](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pittacus-lore/we-don-t-have-to-be-defined-by-the-things-that-we-did-or-didn-t-do-in/) [Pittacus Lore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pittacus-lore/) > [People who accomplish big things did small things well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/people-who-accomplish-big-things-did-small-things-well/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [I was aware that the things that I did bothered people, but that only spurred me on even more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boy-george/i-was-aware-that-the-things-that-i-did-bothered-people-but-that-only/) [Boy George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boy-george/) > [Take me back to yesterday. Somewhere over there. And do the things you never did. In a time where I didn't care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/take-me-back-to-yesterday-somewhere-over-there-and-do-the-things-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All of my old videos and the things I did on MTV, my old public access show - it was sort of all made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-green/all-of-my-old-videos-and-the-things-i-did-on-mtv-my-old-public-access/) [Tom Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-green/) > [Always regret the things you did do, never the things you didn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-koomson/always-regret-the-things-you-did-do-never-the-things-you-didn-t/) [Dorothy Koomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-koomson/) > [“We don't have to be defined by the things we did or didn't do in our past.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pittacus-lore/we-don-t-have-to-be-defined-by-the-things-we-did-or-didn-t-do-in-our/) [Pittacus Lore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pittacus-lore/) > [“Amelia and I were at the age where wonderful things sometimes still did happen, but far less often than they used to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffany-baker/amelia-and-i-were-at-the-age-where-wonderful-things-sometimes-still/) [Tiffany Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffany-baker/) ## More by Sam Walter Foss > [The woods were made for the hunters of dreams, The brooks for the fishers of song; To the hunters who hunt for the gunless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/the-woods-were-made-for-the-hunters-of-dreams-the-brooks-for-the/) [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) > [Just drop your bucket where you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/just-drop-your-bucket-where-you-are/) [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) > [W'en you see a man in woe, Walk right up and say hullo. Say hullo and how d'ye do, How's the world a-usin' you?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/w-en-you-see-a-man-in-woe-walk-right-up-and-say-hullo-say-hullo-and/) [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) > [The woods were made for the hunter of dreams...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/the-woods-were-made-for-the-hunter-of-dreams/) [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) > [A hundred thousand men were led By one calf near three centuries dead; They followed still his crooked way And lost a hundred years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/a-hundred-thousand-men-were-led-by-one-calf-near-three-centuries-dead/) [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) > [Strew gladness on the paths of men-You will not pass this way again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/strew-gladness-on-the-paths-of-men-you-will-not-pass-this-way-again/) [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) > [There are purple grapes in the Land of Git-Thare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/there-are-purple-grapes-in-the-land-of-git-thare/) [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) > [Seek not for fresher founts afar, Just drop your bucket where you are; And while the ship right onward leaps, Uplift it from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/seek-not-for-fresher-founts-afar-just-drop-your-bucket-where-you-are/) [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) > [Let me live in my house by the side of the road, Where the race of men go by; They are good, they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/let-me-live-in-my-house-by-the-side-of-the-road-where-the-race-of-men/) [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) > [One day through the primeval wood A calf walked home as good calves should; But made a trail all bent askew, A crooked trail…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/one-day-through-the-primeval-wood-a-calf-walked-home-as-good-calves/) [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) > [“There are hermit souls that live withdrawn In the place of their self-content; There are souls like stars, that dwell apart, In a fellowless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/there-are-hermit-souls-that-live-withdrawn-in-the-place-of-their-self/) [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) > [For men are prone to go it blind along the calf-paths of the mind To do what other men have done. They follow in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/for-men-are-prone-to-go-it-blind-along-the-calf-paths-of-the-mind-to/) [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) > [W'en you see a man in woe, Walk right up and say 'hullo'; Say "hullo" and "how d'ye do. How's the world a-usin' you?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/w-en-you-see-a-man-in-woe-walk-right-up-and-say-hullo-say-hullo-and-2/) [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) > [There are hermit souls that live withdrawn In the place of their self-content; There are souls like stars that dwell apart, In a fellowless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/there-are-hermit-souls-that-live-withdrawn-in-the-place-of-their-self-2/) [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) > [Bring me men to match my mountains: Bring me men to match my plains: Men with empires in their purpose and new eras in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/bring-me-men-to-match-my-mountains-bring-me-men-to-match-my-plains/) [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) [Explore all 19 Sam Walter Foss quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) ## More Things quotes > [It's really fun and challenging to build things that have never been built before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mason/it-s-really-fun-and-challenging-to-build-things-that-have-never-been/) [Hilary Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mason/) > [Two things revolutionised life: moving to the countryside and falling in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-love/two-things-revolutionised-life-moving-to-the-countryside-and-falling/) [Nick Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-love/) > [You get a new coach; you do things a little differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archie-manning/you-get-a-new-coach-you-do-things-a-little-differently/) [Archie Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archie-manning/) > [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [At the deepest level, all living things that have ever been looked at have the same DNA code. And many of the same genes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/at-the-deepest-level-all-living-things-that-have-ever-been-looked-at/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [I don't own designer clothes, or a sports car, or a huge house, but I am seeing the world, experiencing amazing things, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roz-savage/i-don-t-own-designer-clothes-or-a-sports-car-or-a-huge-house-but-i-am/) [Roz Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roz-savage/) > [Why are things as they are and not otherwise?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-kepler/why-are-things-as-they-are-and-not-otherwise/) [Johannes Kepler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-kepler/) > [I like to wear bodysuits and things that make me feel really active and athletic and also really sensual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-hawley-weld/i-like-to-wear-bodysuits-and-things-that-make-me-feel-really-active/) [Sophie Hawley-Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-hawley-weld/) > [A vacuum can only exist, I imagine, by the things which enclose it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zelda-fitzgerald/a-vacuum-can-only-exist-i-imagine-by-the-things-which-enclose-it/) [Zelda Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zelda-fitzgerald/) > [Doing the right things is more important than doing things right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ko-wen-je/doing-the-right-things-is-more-important-than-doing-things-right/) [Ko Wen-je](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ko-wen-je/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [I think I am against stereotype. Generally, Asian guys are more quiet - they study and have a good work ethic. Generally, I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-lee/i-think-i-am-against-stereotype-generally-asian-guys-are-more-quiet/) [Bobby Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-lee/) > [I wasn't into jazz so much - I preferred things raw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-page/i-wasn-t-into-jazz-so-much-i-preferred-things-raw/) [Jimmy Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-page/) > [I used a psychologist when I was playing, It's one of the most powerful things: how you can have a concrete head and not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-parker/i-used-a-psychologist-when-i-was-playing-it-s-one-of-the-most/) [Scott Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-parker/) Browse all 20,321 Things quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I say the very things that make the greatest StirAn' the most interestin' things, are things that did n't occur.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sam Walter Foss" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/i-say-the-very-things-that-make-the-greatest-stiran-the-most/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Things" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/i-say-the-very-things-that-make-the-greatest-stiran-the-most/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/162/sam-walter-foss-28862_quote_i-say-the-very-things-that-make-the-grea_989699.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/162/sam-walter-foss-28862_quote_i-say-the-very-things-that-make-the-grea_989699.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/162/sam-walter-foss-28862_quote_i-say-the-very-things-that-make-the-grea_989699.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I say the very things that make the greatest StirAn' the most interestin' things, are things that did n't…” — Sam Walter Foss", "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": "Sam Walter Foss", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I say the very things that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/i-say-the-very-things-that-make-the-greatest-stiran-the-most/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/i-say-the-very-things-that-make-the-greatest-stiran-the-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 } } ] } ```