--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have never been able to pay attention…" description: "\"I have never been able to pay attention to anything for more than a few minutes - the stories in my head have always been so much more entertaining. On..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/668/w-bruce-cameron-4604_attention_i-have-never-been-able-to-pay-attention_1864863.jpg" --- # I have never been able to pay attention to anything for… ![“I have never been able to pay attention to anything for more than a few minutes - the stories in my head have always been so much more entertaining. Only books could pull me out of my own imagination, and then it was only to plunge me into someone else's.” quote by W. Bruce Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/668/w-bruce-cameron-4604_attention_i-have-never-been-able-to-pay-attention_1864863.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/668/w-bruce-cameron-4604_attention_i-have-never-been-able-to-pay-attention_1864863.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/668/w-bruce-cameron-4604_attention_i-have-never-been-able-to-pay-attention_1864863.jpg) > “I have never been able to pay attention to anything for more than a few minutes - the stories in my head have always been so much more entertaining. Only books could pull me out of my own imagination, and then it was only to plunge me into someone else's.” [W. Bruce Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-bruce-cameron/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker struggles with short attention spans, finding imagination more compelling than reality, and uses reading to escape into other narratives. **In simple terms:** Difficulty focusing, using books as escape. Key Takeaway Use reading to channel imagination productively. Themes attention imagination escapism literature Mood thoughtful hopeful Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - studying - creative work - mental health - personal growth Key Concepts focus management creative visualization Questions to Reflect On - What strategies can improve focus? - How can imagination be harnessed constructively? A Different Perspective Reading may not address underlying attention issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Head Entertaining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/head-entertaining-2534688/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Imagination Plunge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination-plunge-2534689/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [Only](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/only/) [Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay/) [Pay attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay-attention/) [Pull Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pull-imagination-2534687/) [Stories Head](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories-head-1485511/) ## Related quotes > [“We want to believe that our lives have some objective meaning, and that our sacrifices matter to something beyond the stories in our head.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/we-want-to-believe-that-our-lives-have-some-objective-meaning-and/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [I make up stories in my head all the time, but I've never written them down. But I write a lot of story songs.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-monroe/i-make-up-stories-in-my-head-all-the-time-but-i-ve-never-written-them/) [Ashley Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-monroe/) > [Even if I never sold another book, I'd keep writing, because the stories are here, in my head. Stories that just need to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-gerritsen/even-if-i-never-sold-another-book-i-d-keep-writing-because-the/) [Tess Gerritsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-gerritsen/) > [I've always, always, always listened to music since I was, like, 7 years old and made up stories in my head based on what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-giacchino/i-ve-always-always-always-listened-to-music-since-i-was-like-7-years/) [Michael Giacchino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-giacchino/) > [I fill up the well of stories in my head - without ever knowing I'm doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/i-fill-up-the-well-of-stories-in-my-head-without-ever-knowing-i-m/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) > [I'll never live to write all the stories I have in my head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-dean-myers/i-ll-never-live-to-write-all-the-stories-i-have-in-my-head/) [Walter Dean Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-dean-myers/) > [“We went back into the Mens Apartments where there were others raving of Ships that may fly and silvered Creatures upon the Moon: Their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ackroyd/we-went-back-into-the-mens-apartments-where-there-were-others-raving/) [Peter Ackroyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ackroyd/) > [People tell me I'm very ambitious right now. But I just have a lot of stories in my head, and why can't I do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-schroeder/people-tell-me-i-m-very-ambitious-right-now-but-i-just-have-a-lot-of/) [Allison Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-schroeder/) > [There are a couple of stories that I have in my head for which I feel like I should collaborate with people. So yes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aditya-roy-kapur/there-are-a-couple-of-stories-that-i-have-in-my-head-for-which-i-feel/) [Aditya Roy Kapur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aditya-roy-kapur/) > [“And even though her journal was just random sentences, she did spin stories in my head. The sound of her voice made dreams happen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/and-even-though-her-journal-was-just-random-sentences-she-did-spin/) [Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/) > [I started writing in fourth grade and never stopped. I faked my way through high school and nearly was flushed from college - I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-bruce-cameron/i-started-writing-in-fourth-grade-and-never-stopped-i-faked-my-way/) [W. Bruce Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-bruce-cameron/) > [Only two to three per cent of an audience is interested in words and pays attention to lyrics; most of the rest of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stewart/only-two-to-three-per-cent-of-an-audience-is-interested-in-words-and/) [Al Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stewart/) > [Why couldn't Jesus command us to obsess over everything, to try to control and manipulate people, to try not to breathe at all, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/why-couldn-t-jesus-command-us-to-obsess-over-everything-to-try-to/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Ripped across tha ditch, settled in dirt... Wear you like a stitch, yet I'm the one who's hurt... Pay attention to your twisted lil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ctate-sk/ripped-across-tha-ditch-settled-in-dirt-wear-you-like-a-stitch-yet-i/) [CTate SK](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ctate-sk/) > [ I went to a mosque in Philadelphia with \[my wife\] in December 24, 1999. And we we went to this mosque in Philly, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/i-went-to-a-mosque-in-philadelphia-with-my-wife-in-december-24-1999/) [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) ## More by W. Bruce Cameron > [That's the lesson of the dogs, that it's important to both live in the moment and then go on to the next wonderful thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-bruce-cameron/that-s-the-lesson-of-the-dogs-that-it-s-important-to-both-live-in-the/) [W. Bruce Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-bruce-cameron/) > [Without a dog, no one will listen to your opinions for more than a few minutes without interrupting to tell you their opinions, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-bruce-cameron/without-a-dog-no-one-will-listen-to-your-opinions-for-more-than-a-few/) [W. Bruce Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-bruce-cameron/) > [I was riding my mountain bike in Colorado, and I met a dog who reminded me so much of my very first dog in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-bruce-cameron/i-was-riding-my-mountain-bike-in-colorado-and-i-met-a-dog-who/) [W. Bruce Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-bruce-cameron/) > [With social media, you don't just publish a book and figure you've done your part; your fans want to talk to you, have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-bruce-cameron/with-social-media-you-don-t-just-publish-a-book-and-figure-you-ve/) [W. Bruce Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-bruce-cameron/) > [Because failure isn't an option if success is just a matter of more effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-bruce-cameron/because-failure-isn-t-an-option-if-success-is-just-a-matter-of-more/) [W. Bruce Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-bruce-cameron/) > [“But humans drive the cars and decide when dogs eat and where dogs live and clearly this was something else in their power -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-bruce-cameron/but-humans-drive-the-cars-and-decide-when-dogs-eat-and-where-dogs/) [W. Bruce Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-bruce-cameron/) > [I've tried several diets over the past couple of years - not because I need to lose weight, but because my pants are trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-bruce-cameron/i-ve-tried-several-diets-over-the-past-couple-of-years-not-because-i/) [W. Bruce Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-bruce-cameron/) > [My philosophy on snow skiing is that there are less expensive ways to fall down a mountain. Yet every couple of years, I go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-bruce-cameron/my-philosophy-on-snow-skiing-is-that-there-are-less-expensive-ways-to/) [W. Bruce Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-bruce-cameron/) > [“You remind me in so many ways of my dog Molly, her gentleness, but also Max, with his self-assurance. Will you tell my angel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-bruce-cameron/you-remind-me-in-so-many-ways-of-my-dog-molly-her-gentleness-but-also/) [W. Bruce Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-bruce-cameron/) > [I started writing in fourth grade and never stopped. I faked my way through high school and nearly was flushed from college - I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-bruce-cameron/i-started-writing-in-fourth-grade-and-never-stopped-i-faked-my-way/) [W. Bruce Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-bruce-cameron/) > [None of the kids in the neighborhood had dogs. My dad walked in that Labrador, and we started running together and rolling around together…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-bruce-cameron/none-of-the-kids-in-the-neighborhood-had-dogs-my-dad-walked-in-that/) [W. Bruce Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-bruce-cameron/) > [When I was in seventh grade, I was a scrawny boy with no muscles, so I went out for wrestling. My intention was to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-bruce-cameron/when-i-was-in-seventh-grade-i-was-a-scrawny-boy-with-no-muscles-so-i/) [W. Bruce Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-bruce-cameron/) > [“What happened to the Ford?” “God, Gloria made me sell it. Supposedly, I had too much independence—that’s the new theory, that I ran off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-bruce-cameron/what-happened-to-the-ford-god-gloria-made-me-sell-it-supposedly-i-had/) [W. Bruce Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-bruce-cameron/) > [The first cellphone I owned was hardly a slim, high-tech device - it was more like a brick with buttons, only with worse reception.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-bruce-cameron/the-first-cellphone-i-owned-was-hardly-a-slim-high-tech-device-it-was/) [W. Bruce Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-bruce-cameron/) > [3D printers give us what we've all been craving: another reason to talk to technical support. When you finally get the thing working, though,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-bruce-cameron/3d-printers-give-us-what-we-ve-all-been-craving-another-reason-to/) [W. Bruce Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-bruce-cameron/) [Explore all 108 W. Bruce Cameron quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-bruce-cameron/) ## More Attention quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/) [Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [What people don't normally know about us is the hustle is very real, and it's sorely driven a lot by how we consider ourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lzzy-hale/what-people-don-t-normally-know-about-us-is-the-hustle-is-very-real/) [Lzzy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lzzy-hale/) > [For me, the term "psychotherapy" is limiting. It implies that we work with mind and emotions, but excludes the body and pays scant attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/for-me-the-term-psychotherapy-is-limiting-it-implies-that-we-work/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [ I went to a mosque in Philadelphia with \[my wife\] in December 24, 1999. And we we went to this mosque in Philly, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/i-went-to-a-mosque-in-philadelphia-with-my-wife-in-december-24-1999/) [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) > [The Harvard Business Review recently had an article called 'The Human Moment,' about how to make real contact with a person at work: ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-harvard-business-review-recently-had-an-article-called-the-human/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Let us thank God heartily as often as we pray that we have His Spirit in us to teach us to pray. Thanksgiving will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/let-us-thank-god-heartily-as-often-as-we-pray-that-we-have-his-spirit/) [Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/) > [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [We must have a welfare system that we can afford, which will mean giving greater attention to directing the welfare program toward its primary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/we-must-have-a-welfare-system-that-we-can-afford-which-will-mean/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [The director's job should give you a sense of music without drawing attention to itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hackford/the-director-s-job-should-give-you-a-sense-of-music-without-drawing/) [Taylor Hackford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hackford/) [Browse all 10,153 Attention quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I have never been able to pay attention to anything for more than a few minutes - the stories in my head have always been so much more entertaining. 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