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About this quote

What does it mean?
Chesterton suggests that fairy tales align with common sense, implying that wonder and imagination are natural and sensible parts of life.
In plain terms
Fairy tales make sense to normal people.
What can you take from it?
Imagination and common sense are not opposed.

Where it applies

  • discussing literature
  • valuing imagination

Putting it to work

  • embracing wonder
  • challenging cynicism

Questions to consider

  • Is wonder a form of common sense?
  • Why do some reject imagination?

Another view

It assumes everyone finds fairy tales sensible.

More from Gilbert Keith Chesterton

  1. It is idle to talk always of the alternative of reason and faith. Reason is itself a matter of faith. It is an act of faith to assert that our thoughts have an…

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  2. The real trouble with this world of ours is not that it is an unreasonable world, nor even that it is a reasonable one. The commonest kind of trouble is that i…

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  3. The modern world is not evil; in some ways the modern world is far too good. It is full of wild and wasted virtues. When a religious scheme is shattered (as Ch…

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