--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Humans need fantasy to be human. To be…" description: "\"Humans need fantasy to be human. To be the place where the falling angel meets the rising ape.\" — Terry Pratchett" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b9/terry-pratchett-19_angel_humans-need-fantasy-to-be-human-to-be-th_1594185.jpg" --- # Humans need fantasy to be human. To be the place where the… ![“Humans need fantasy to be human. To be the place where the falling angel meets the rising ape.” quote by Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b9/terry-pratchett-19_angel_humans-need-fantasy-to-be-human-to-be-th_1594185.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b9/terry-pratchett-19_angel_humans-need-fantasy-to-be-human-to-be-th_1594185.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b9/terry-pratchett-19_angel_humans-need-fantasy-to-be-human-to-be-th_1594185.jpg) > “Humans need fantasy to be human. To be the place where the falling angel meets the rising ape.” [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Fantasy is essential to humanity, bridging the divine and the primal within us. **In simple terms:** Fantasy keeps us human. Key Takeaway Embrace imagination. Themes imagination humanity myth spirituality creativity Mood reflective hopeful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - reading - art - therapy - education - innovation Key Concepts existentialism storytelling psychology Questions to Reflect On - Why do we need myth? - How does imagination shape identity? A Different Perspective Fantasy can distract from real issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Angel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angel/) [Apes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apes/) [Fall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fall/) [Fantasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy/) [Fantasy Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy-human-777402/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Humans Need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans-need-598201/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Need Fantasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need-fantasy-2279703/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Rising](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rising/) [Rising Ape](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rising-ape-2362218/) ## Related quotes > [I'd rather be a rising ape than a falling angel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/i-d-rather-be-a-rising-ape-than-a-falling-angel/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Humans need fantasy in order to be human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/humans-need-fantasy-in-order-to-be-human/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“All right," said Susan. "I'm not stupid. You're saying humans need... fantasies to make life bearable." REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/all-right-said-susan-i-m-not-stupid-you-re-saying-humans-need/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Evolution was far more thrilling to me than the biblical account. Who would not rather be a rising ape than a falling angel? To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/evolution-was-far-more-thrilling-to-me-than-the-biblical-account-who/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [In my perfect world, we'd have one black girl fantasy book every month. We need them, and we need fantasy stories about black boys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomi-adeyemi/in-my-perfect-world-we-d-have-one-black-girl-fantasy-book-every-month/) [Tomi Adeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomi-adeyemi/) > [Reality depresses me. I need to find fantasy worlds and escape in them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-fielding/reality-depresses-me-i-need-to-find-fantasy-worlds-and-escape-in-them/) [Noel Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-fielding/) > [You have the effrontery to be squeamish, it thought at him. But we were dragons. We were supposed to be cruel, cunning, heartless and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-have-the-effrontery-to-be-squeamish-it-thought-at-him-but-we-were/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [ASTONISHING, said Death. REALLY ASTONISHING. LET ME PUT FORWARD ANOTHER SUGGESTION: THAT YOU ARE NOTHING MORE THAN A LUCKY SPECIES OF APE THAT IS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/astonishing-said-death-really-astonishing-let-me-put-forward-another/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [He helped the Librarian up. There was a red glow in the ape's eyes. It had tried to steal his books. This was probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/he-helped-the-librarian-up-there-was-a-red-glow-in-the-ape-s-eyes-it/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Apes had it worked out. No ape would philosophize, "The mountain is, and is not." They would think, "The banana is. I will eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/apes-had-it-worked-out-no-ape-would-philosophize-the-mountain-is-and/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Humans need simple answers for complex problems.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-hirsch/humans-need-simple-answers-for-complex-problems/) [Lawrence Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-hirsch/) > [What modern humans need help with is escaping from the despair of politics, commerce and media, escaping from the drabness and oppressiveness of worldly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leunig/what-modern-humans-need-help-with-is-escaping-from-the-despair-of/) [Michael Leunig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leunig/) > [“We humans need one another. We live in a big house with many rooms. Right now our home is on fire. If you're going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivory-simone/we-humans-need-one-another-we-live-in-a-big-house-with-many-rooms/) [Ivory Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivory-simone/) > [We humans need to do better with our vast minds and alchemical powers. Future radial poetries might be more symbiotic with the rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-waldman/we-humans-need-to-do-better-with-our-vast-minds-and-alchemical-powers/) [Anne Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-waldman/) > [... humans have such a need to break everything down into right and wrong. It never occurs to you that you've made those labels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/humans-have-such-a-need-to-break-everything-down-into-right-and-wrong/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) ## More by Terry Pratchett > [“This one’s mental.’ ‘Eccentric.’ ‘What’s the difference?’ ‘A bag of cash.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/this-one-s-mental-eccentric-what-s-the-difference-a-bag-of-cash/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“But I did not return until half past four this morning and I distinctly remember stubbing my toe on the stairs. I am as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/but-i-did-not-return-until-half-past-four-this-morning-and-i/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Someone broke from the scrum and, punching and kicking, staggered towards the Klatchian goal. "Isn't that man your butler?" said Ahmed. "Yes." "One of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/someone-broke-from-the-scrum-and-punching-and-kicking-staggered/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [It's an interesting fact that fewer than 17 % of Real cats end their lives with the same name they started with. Much family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-s-an-interesting-fact-that-fewer-than-17-of-real-cats-end-their/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [You can't trust folk songs. They always sneak up on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-can-t-trust-folk-songs-they-always-sneak-up-on-you/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Either dragons should exist completely or fail to exist at all, he felt. A dragon only half-existing was worse than the extremes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/either-dragons-should-exist-completely-or-fail-to-exist-at-all-he/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Magrat wondered what it was like, spending your whole life doing something you didn’t want to do. Like being dead, she considered, only worse,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/magrat-wondered-what-it-was-like-spending-your-whole-life-doing/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [A hardback's harder at Christmas time because that's a good hardback buying time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/a-hardback-s-harder-at-christmas-time-because-that-s-a-good-hardback/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“There were more old people. The world was full of them,' said the wizard. 'Yes, I know. And now it's full of young people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-were-more-old-people-the-world-was-full-of-them-said-the-wizard/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Hobson was big and heavyset, but not exactly fat; he was probably what you’d get if you shaved a bear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/hobson-was-big-and-heavyset-but-not-exactly-fat-he-was-probably-what/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“There is a night that never comes to an end… The clock of the world turns under its own shadow. Midnight is a moving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-is-a-night-that-never-comes-to-an-end-the-clock-of-the-world/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“You'd like Freedom, Truth, and Justice, wouldn't you, Comrade Sergeant?' said Reg encouragingly. 'I'd like a hard-boiled egg,' said Vimes, shaking the match out.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-d-like-freedom-truth-and-justice-wouldn-t-you-comrade-sergeant/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“You are not apprehensive, are you? I can't detect no trace of fear none whatsoever Roomy cranium all possible videos of all possible outcomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-are-not-apprehensive-are-you-i-can-t-detect-no-trace-of-fear-none/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Imagination, not intelligence, made us human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/imagination-not-intelligence-made-us-human/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) [Explore all 3,328 Terry Pratchett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) ## More Angel quotes > [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [If I wer an angel,i would make all your wishes come true..but I'm only a girl a girl who loves you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nix/if-i-wer-an-angel-i-would-make-all-your-wishes-come-true-but-i-m-only/) [Nix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nix/) > [Peace is the first thing the angels sang. Peace is the mark of the children of God. Peace is the nurse of love. Peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-i/peace-is-the-first-thing-the-angels-sang-peace-is-the-mark-of-the/) [Pope Leo I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-i/) > [“Every child is born as angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/every-child-is-born-as-angel/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“Behind my eyelids, I saw him dancing in spirals of coloured light, emerald, blue, and brilliant purple, enfolding him like the wings of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-hall/behind-my-eyelids-i-saw-him-dancing-in-spirals-of-coloured-light/) [Alexis Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-hall/) > [All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/all-that-i-am-or-ever-hope-to-be-i-owe-to-my-angel-mother/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [I don't think people will ever forget I was an 'Angel,' anymore than they'll forget Sally Field was 'The Flying Nun.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-ladd/i-don-t-think-people-will-ever-forget-i-was-an-angel-anymore-than/) [Cheryl Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-ladd/) > [It's a great story for us whenever an entrepreneur makes a crazy amount of money and we get to tell the world about it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/it-s-a-great-story-for-us-whenever-an-entrepreneur-makes-a-crazy/) [Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/) > [I believe in UFOs, I believe in extraterrestrials, and I believe in angels. And maybe they'll protect all of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-maclaine/i-believe-in-ufos-i-believe-in-extraterrestrials-and-i-believe-in/) [Shirley MacLaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-maclaine/) > [Sometimes we have the absolute certainty there's something inside us that's so hideous and monstrous that if we ever search it out we won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/sometimes-we-have-the-absolute-certainty-there-s-something-inside-us/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [Flowers are the alphabet of angels, whereby they write on the hills and fields mysterious truths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/flowers-are-the-alphabet-of-angels-whereby-they-write-on-the-hills/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [You should never feel lonely, neglected, fearful, or defeated when you remember that there are the shining ones. They are watching with keen interest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flower-a-newhouse/you-should-never-feel-lonely-neglected-fearful-or-defeated-when-you/) [Flower A. Newhouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flower-a-newhouse/) > [Hark the herald angels sing, 'Glory to the new-born king.' Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-wesley/hark-the-herald-angels-sing-glory-to-the-new-born-king-peace-on-earth/) [Charles Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-wesley/) > [Man was created a little lower than the angels and has been getting a little lower ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/man-was-created-a-little-lower-than-the-angels-and-has-been-getting-a/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [Mooner was walking around laying his hands on the cars, divining karma. "this is it", he said, standing by a small khaki-colored jeep."this car…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/mooner-was-walking-around-laying-his-hands-on-the-cars-divining-karma/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) [Browse all 4,625 Angel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angel/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Humans need fantasy to be human. 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