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What If Quotes

On imagination, doubt and playful hypotheticals.

This page gathers quotes built around the phrase 'what if,' used to imagine alternate scenarios, such as artists like Picasso or Andy Warhol reaching the Moon, and to question deeper ideas, like whether everything might be an illusion or a shared dream. One quote even turns philosophical doubt into a joke about overpaying for a carpet. Related musings appear in our Curiosity quotes collection.

I ended up going to NYU for film school - close to Pennsylvania - but we talked about what if I went to UCLA or USC, and my mom's whole world was caving in.

Quotes by Adam F. Goldberg

What if Picasso had gone to the Moon? Or Andy Warhol or Michael Jackson or John Lennon? What about Coco Chanel? These are all artists that I adore.

Quotes by Yusaku Maezawa

What if everything is an illusion and nothing exists? In that case, I definitely overpaid for my carpet.

Quotes by Woody Allen

What if nothing exists and we're all in somebody's dream?

Quotes by Woody Allen

Curiosity Quotes

The one thing humans can't control is time, but what if one has the power to do so is the core theme of '24.'

Quotes by Suriya

It's easy to dislike the few senior women out there. What if women were half the positions in power? It would be harder to dislike all of them.

Quotes by Sheryl Sandberg

There is a clear norm against the spread of nuclear weapons, but there is no consensus or treaty on what, if anything, is to be done once a country develops or acquires nuclear weapons.

Quotes by Richard N. Haass

Foreign aid should not be automatic. Countries should have to make their case every year, and American officials should openly decide what, if anything, to fund.

Quotes by Richard Grenell

What if democracy does not serve liberty? This question is seldom asked in the West, where democracy is often seen as synonymous with liberalism.

Quotes by Mustafa Akyol

Doubt Quotes

I would hate to be 65 and think, 'What if I had tried to be an actor?'

Quotes by Matt Long

What, if as said, man is a bubble.

Quotes by Marcus Terentius Varro

What if it's boring - or if it's not boring, it might be too revealing, or worse, it might be too revealing and still be boring.

Quotes by Lily Tomlin

What, if not Shakespeare, is open for interpretation?

Quotes by Kelly Asbury

Even if trolley problems were a realistic concern for AVs, it is not clear what, if anything, regulators or companies developing AVs should do about them. The trolley problem is an intensely debated thought experiment precisely because there isn't a...

Quotes by Karl Iagnemma

Emotion Quotes

What if these events the Bible says will happen, happens in our lifetime?

Quotes by Joel C. Rosenberg

I love the 'what if' nature of sci-fi.

Quotes by Duncan Jones

What if 16th century people were right, and the supernatural and natural coexisted? How would that play out?

Quotes by Deborah Harkness

The counter-argument would be, so what if my sexual relationships are superficial, one can still have satisfying and rewarding relationships with friends, or parents, or siblings, or whatever.

Quotes by Chester Brown

What if others suffer shipwreck, yet none that sail with Jesus have ever been stranded yet.

Quotes by Charles Spurgeon

Imagination Quotes

I think I became a writer because of my love of stories and an inability to stop asking, 'What if?'

Quotes by Caroline Leavitt

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of questions do these 'what if' quotes ask?
The quotes range from playful hypotheticals, like imagining artists such as Picasso or Andy Warhol reaching the Moon, to deeper philosophical questions about whether reality or existence itself might be an illusion. One quote also applies the phrase to literary interpretation, asking what is open to interpretation if not Shakespeare.
Why do people search for 'what if' quotes?
People look for these quotes when they want a spark for creative or reflective thinking, whether for writing prompts, conversation starters, or simply enjoying a bit of imaginative wordplay. The phrase naturally invites open-ended thinking.
What does the quote about Picasso and the Moon suggest?
That quote imagines several admired artists, including Picasso, Andy Warhol, Michael Jackson and John Lennon, going to the Moon, using the idea to express admiration for their creativity rather than making a literal claim. It is a playful, imaginative tribute rather than a serious proposal.
Is there a quote about the nature of reality here?
Yes, two quotes touch on this, one asking what if nothing exists and everyone is in someone else's dream, and another taking it further with a joke about overpaying for a carpet if everything turns out to be an illusion. Together they mix genuine philosophical doubt with self-aware humour.
What does the Shakespeare quote mean in this collection?
That quote asks what is open for interpretation if not Shakespeare, using his work as the benchmark example of text that invites multiple readings. It fits the 'what if' theme by questioning assumptions about interpretation itself.

A final quote applies 'what if' to interpretation itself, asking what remains open to interpretation if not Shakespeare. For more on imagination, browse our Imagination quotes page.