--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When a man has fulfilled all four of…" description: "\"When a man has fulfilled all four of these requisites-to be wide awake, to have fear, respect, and absolute assurance-there are no mistakes for which h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82d/carlos-castaneda-1384_absolutes_when-a-man-has-fulfilled-all-four-of-the_2730671.jpg" --- # When a man has fulfilled all four of these requisites-to… ![“When a man has fulfilled all four of these requisites-to be wide awake, to have fear, respect, and absolute assurance-there are no mistakes for which he will have to account; under such conditions his actions lose the blundering quality of the acts of a fool. If such a man fails, or suffers a…” quote by Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82d/carlos-castaneda-1384_absolutes_when-a-man-has-fulfilled-all-four-of-the_2730671.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82d/carlos-castaneda-1384_absolutes_when-a-man-has-fulfilled-all-four-of-the_2730671.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82d/carlos-castaneda-1384_absolutes_when-a-man-has-fulfilled-all-four-of-the_2730671.jpg) > “When a man has fulfilled all four of these requisites-to be wide awake, to have fear, respect, and absolute assurance-there are no mistakes for which he will have to account; under such conditions his actions lose the blundering quality of the acts of a fool. If such a man fails, or suffers a defeat, he will have lost only a battle, and there will be no pitiful regrets over that.” [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A fully aware person, free from fear and doubt, acts without foolish mistakes; failure is merely a battle, not a personal tragedy. **In simple terms:** Awareness removes fear and regret. Key Takeaway Cultivate presence and confidence. Themes self‑development mindfulness resilience Mood reflective motivational Type self‑help inspirational When to use this quote - sports competition - public speaking - creative projects - leadership decisions - personal challenges Key Concepts consciousness fearlessness personal mastery Questions to Reflect On - How does one balance confidence with humility? - What practices build true awareness? A Different Perspective Overconfidence may ignore genuine risks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absolutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutes/) [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Assurance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assurance/) [Battle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/battle/) [Confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Defeat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Wide awake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wide-awake/) ## Related quotes > [A man goes to knowledge as he goes to war, wide awake, with fear, with respect, and with absolute assurance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/a-man-goes-to-knowledge-as-he-goes-to-war-wide-awake-with-fear-with/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [A man goes to knowledge as he goes to war: wide-awake, with fear, with respect, and with absolute assurance. Going to knowledge or going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/a-man-goes-to-knowledge-as-he-goes-to-war-wide-awake-with-fear-with-2/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [A man who fails is funny... if my sketches teach anything, it is that, for the male, sex is a snare and a delusion.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benny-hill/a-man-who-fails-is-funny-if-my-sketches-teach-anything-it-is-that-for/) [Benny Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benny-hill/) > [Many a man fails as an original thinker simply because his memory it too good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/many-a-man-fails-as-an-original-thinker-simply-because-his-memory-it/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [The man who fails while trying to do good has more honor than he who succeeds by accident](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/the-man-who-fails-while-trying-to-do-good-has-more-honor-than-he-who/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [“Many a man fails to become a thinker for the sole reason that his memory is too good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/many-a-man-fails-to-become-a-thinker-for-the-sole-reason-that-his/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Many a man never fails because he never tries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-macewen/many-a-man-never-fails-because-he-never-tries/) Norman MacEwen > [A man who fails well is greater than one who succeeds badly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/a-man-who-fails-well-is-greater-than-one-who-succeeds-badly/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [When a man fails to understand something he is conscious of a discord, and seeks for the cause of it not in himself, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/when-a-man-fails-to-understand-something-he-is-conscious-of-a-discord/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [No man fails who does his best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/no-man-fails-who-does-his-best/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [Many a man fails as an original thinker simply because his memory is too good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/many-a-man-fails-as-an-original-thinker-simply-because-his-memory-is/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Every man fails in any aspect because of a girl in him](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymonds/every-man-fails-in-any-aspect-because-of-a-girl-in-him/) Raymonds > [A father is a man who fails every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/a-father-is-a-man-who-fails-every-day/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [The man who fails because he aims astray or because he does not aim at all is to be found everywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-arthur-swinnerton/the-man-who-fails-because-he-aims-astray-or-because-he-does-not-aim/) [Frank Arthur Swinnerton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-arthur-swinnerton/) > [Who can calculate the wounds inflicted, their depth and pain, by harsh and mean words spoken in anger? How pitiful a sight is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-b-hinckley/who-can-calculate-the-wounds-inflicted-their-depth-and-pain-by-harsh/) [Gordon B. Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-b-hinckley/) ## More by Carlos Castaneda > [A warrior, or any man for that matter, cannot possibly wish he were somewhere else; a warrior because he lives by challenge, an ordinary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/a-warrior-or-any-man-for-that-matter-cannot-possibly-wish-he-were/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [You see all of us go through the same doubts. We are afraid of being mad; unfortunately for us, of course, all of us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/you-see-all-of-us-go-through-the-same-doubts-we-are-afraid-of-being/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [Intent is what can make a man succeed when his thoughts tell him that he is defeated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/intent-is-what-can-make-a-man-succeed-when-his-thoughts-tell-him-that/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [The shadows in the early morning don't tell much. The shadows rest at that time. So it's useless to gaze very early in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/the-shadows-in-the-early-morning-don-t-tell-much-the-shadows-rest-at/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [One can say that the nagual accounts for creativity. The nagual is the only part of us that can create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/one-can-say-that-the-nagual-accounts-for-creativity-the-nagual-is-the/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [Do you know at this very moment you are surrounded by eternity? And do you know that you can use that eternity if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/do-you-know-at-this-very-moment-you-are-surrounded-by-eternity-and-do/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [When a warrior learns to stop the internal dialogue, everything becomes possible; the most far-fetched schemes become attainable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/when-a-warrior-learns-to-stop-the-internal-dialogue-everything/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [Nothing in this world is a gift. Whatever must be learned must be learned the hard way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/nothing-in-this-world-is-a-gift-whatever-must-be-learned-must-be/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [Our normal expectations about reality are created by a social consensus. We are taught how to see and understand the world. The trick of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/our-normal-expectations-about-reality-are-created-by-a-social/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [Inner silence works from the moment you begin to accrue it. What the old sorcerers were after was the final dramatic, end result of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/inner-silence-works-from-the-moment-you-begin-to-accrue-it-what-the/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [In a world where death is the hunter, my friend, there is no time for regrets or doubts. There is only time for decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/in-a-world-where-death-is-the-hunter-my-friend-there-is-no-time-for/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [Fright is something one can never get over. When a warrior is caught in such a tight spot he would simply turn his back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/fright-is-something-one-can-never-get-over-when-a-warrior-is-caught/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [You're in a terrible spot. It's too late for you to retreat but too soon to act. All you can do is witness. You're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/you-re-in-a-terrible-spot-it-s-too-late-for-you-to-retreat-but-too/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [A hunter that is worth his salt does not catch game because he sets his traps, or because he knows the hunting routines of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/a-hunter-that-is-worth-his-salt-does-not-catch-game-because-he-sets/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [If you were a warrior, you would know that the worst thing one can do is confront human beings directly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/if-you-were-a-warrior-you-would-know-that-the-worst-thing-one-can-do/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) [Explore all 244 Carlos Castaneda quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) ## More Absolutes quotes > [At the centre of the human heart is the longing for an absolute good, a longing which is always there and is never appeased…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/at-the-centre-of-the-human-heart-is-the-longing-for-an-absolute-good/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [There is no perfect justice, just as there is no absolute in ethics. But there is perfect injustice, and we know it when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/there-is-no-perfect-justice-just-as-there-is-no-absolute-in-ethics/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [If you live in a material universe where acquiring things is very important to you, then family is an absolute deterrent to maintaining that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor-gatto/if-you-live-in-a-material-universe-where-acquiring-things-is-very/) [John Taylor Gatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor-gatto/) > [ Their \[the U.S.’s\] defense budget in absolute figures is almost 25 times bigger than Russia’s. This is what in defense is referred to as… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/their-the-u-s-s-defense-budget-in-absolute-figures-is-almost-25-times/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [This separation was absolute in our original Republic. But the sky-godders do not give up easily. In the 1950s they actually got the phrase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/this-separation-was-absolute-in-our-original-republic-but-the-sky/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Conservative political opinion in America cleaves to the tradition of the judge as passive interpreter, believing that his absolute loyalty to authoritative law is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/learned-hand/conservative-political-opinion-in-america-cleaves-to-the-tradition-of/) [Learned Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/learned-hand/) > [So many times we come to Jesus in worship and ask Him for things that He already IS and has already done... What a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christy-nockels/so-many-times-we-come-to-jesus-in-worship-and-ask-him-for-things-that/) Christy Nockels > [Those are decisions only the Lord will make. I believe the love of God is absolute. He said he gave his son for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/those-are-decisions-only-the-lord-will-make-i-believe-the-love-of-god/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [“The Gods know what it is to be eternal, and they love to toy with mortals who use absolutes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/the-gods-know-what-it-is-to-be-eternal-and-they-love-to-toy-with/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [Anarchy is the stepping stone to absolute power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/anarchy-is-the-stepping-stone-to-absolute-power/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [I was asked the other day if I would be interested in the Nobel Prize, but I think that for me it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-was-asked-the-other-day-if-i-would-be-interested-in-the-nobel-prize/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [The only "definitive truth" for Buddhism is the absolute negation of any one truth as the Definitive Truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/the-only-definitive-truth-for-buddhism-is-the-absolute-negation-of/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [The nature of the Absolute is neither perceptible nor imperceptible; and with phenomena it is just the same. But to one who has discovered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huangbo-xiyun/the-nature-of-the-absolute-is-neither-perceptible-nor-imperceptible/) [Huangbo Xiyun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huangbo-xiyun/) > [Joining a company is an act that calls for absolute loyalty in big matters and little ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-watson/joining-a-company-is-an-act-that-calls-for-absolute-loyalty-in-big/) [Thomas Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-watson/) > [In fine, a life of good or evil, the hope of Heaven or the despair of Hell, Faustus stands as a reminder that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-fine-a-life-of-good-or-evil-the-hope-of-heaven-or-the-despair-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 2,016 Absolutes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutes/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When a man has fulfilled all four of these requisites-to be wide awake, to have fear, respect, and absolute assurance-there are no mistakes for which he will have to account; under such conditions his actions lose the blundering quality of the acts of a fool. 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