You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
Genuine
Yes. In Oh, the Places You’ll Go! (1990), The narrator’s address to “you”; English excerpt on Auckland University Press’s book page (no book page number confirmed).
Checked against Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You’ll Go! (Random House, 1990), English excerpt reproduced by Auckland University Press on its page for Karena Kelly’s Nōu te Ao, e Hika e!, in a full-text transcription.
- Work
- Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, 1990
- Where
- The narrator’s address to “you”; English excerpt on Auckland University Press’s book page (no book page number confirmed)
- Source
- Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You’ll Go! (Random House, 1990), English excerpt reproduced by Auckland University Press on its page for Karena Kelly’s Nōu te Ao, e Hika e!
- Checked
- In a full-text transcription
Researched by AI. Entry updated 25 October 2026. Editorial review: pending. How we check
About this quote
The scene
The narrator addresses a person setting out into life and encourages independent choices. The publisher describes the book as a journey through both high points and slumps, urging readers to recognise their strengths and the challenges ahead. The passage is encouragement inside that larger journey, not an assertion that difficulties can always be avoided.
What it means
You have the abilities to think and act for yourself, and can use them to choose a direction.
Often misread
Read on its own, the verse can sound like a guarantee that willpower controls every outcome. Both publishers’ descriptions emphasise that the book also deals with setbacks and challenges.
Topics
Related quotes
- Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. (misattributed) Ralph Waldo Emerson
- You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching, Love like you’ll never be hurt, Sing like there’s nobody listening, And live like it’s heaven on earth. (misattributed) William W. Purkey
- Dig within. Within is the wellspring of good; and it will ever bubble up, if you will ever dig. (paraphrase) Marcus Aurelius
- You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength. (not found) Marcus Aurelius
- Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. (misattributed) Mark Twain
Sources
Cite it
Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You’ll Go! (1990), The narrator’s address to “you”; English excerpt on Auckland University Press’s book page (no book page number confirmed). Checked at Quotogeny, https://quotogeny.com/q/you-have-brains-in-your-head/ (25 October 2026).
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Checked by people
People who checked this entry against its source, under their own names. Their checks do not change the verdict: an editor reviews every entry.
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