--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You either make dust or eat dust." description: "\"You either make dust or eat dust.\" — H. Jackson Brown, Jr" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f5/h-jackson-brown-jr-1456_dust_you-either-make-dust-or-eat-dust-1761070_1761070.png" --- # You either make dust or eat dust. ![“You either make dust or eat dust.” quote by H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f5/h-jackson-brown-jr-1456_dust_you-either-make-dust-or-eat-dust-1761070_1761070.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f5/h-jackson-brown-jr-1456_dust_you-either-make-dust-or-eat-dust-1761070_1761070.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f5/h-jackson-brown-jr-1456_dust_you-either-make-dust-or-eat-dust-1761070_1761070.png) > “You either make dust or eat dust.” [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. One must either create value or be consumed by circumstances. **In simple terms:** Create or be consumed. Key Takeaway Focus on productive actions. Themes productivity choice survival Mood encouraging urgent Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - business - personal growth - creative projects Key Concepts agency self‑determination Questions to Reflect On - What value are you creating? - How do you avoid passivity? A Different Perspective External forces can limit agency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [We do not start as dust. We do not end as dust. We make more than dust. That's all we ask of you. Make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/we-do-not-start-as-dust-we-do-not-end-as-dust-we-make-more-than-dust/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Delivered to oblivion...growing and flowering with incense and weeds to the sullen whine of nasty flies... I loved deserts, burnt out orchards, faded boutiques...I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-rimbaud/delivered-to-oblivion-growing-and-flowering-with-incense-and-weeds-to/) [Arthur Rimbaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-rimbaud/) > [“Make more than dust.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/make-more-than-dust/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“We do not start as dust. We do not end as dust. We make more than dust.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/we-do-not-start-as-dust-we-do-not-end-as-dust-we-make-more-than-dust-2/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [I will embrace today's difficult tasks, take off my coat, and make dust in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/i-will-embrace-today-s-difficult-tasks-take-off-my-coat-and-make-dust/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [When any civilization is dust and ashes," he said, "art is all that's left over. Images, words, music. Imaginative structures. Meaning—human meaning, that is—is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/when-any-civilization-is-dust-and-ashes-he-said-art-is-all-that-s/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [I assume my stance, and take back the club, low, slowly; at the top, my eyes fog over, and my joints dip and swirl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-assume-my-stance-and-take-back-the-club-low-slowly-at-the-top-my/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [At about 10 o'clock in the morning the sun threw a bright dust-laden bar through one of the side windows and in and out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/at-about-10-o-clock-in-the-morning-the-sun-threw-a-bright-dust-laden/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [Mr. Bumpy from Bump in the Night was this funky little guy who lived under the bed and thought eating dust bunnies was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/mr-bumpy-from-bump-in-the-night-was-this-funky-little-guy-who-lived/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) > [“People were made of nothing so much as dust, and I couldn't see that doctoring all that dust was a bit better than writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/people-were-made-of-nothing-so-much-as-dust-and-i-couldn-t-see-that/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [Wild honey smells of freedom The dust - of sunlight The mouth of a young girl, like a violet But gold - smells of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-akhmatova/wild-honey-smells-of-freedom-the-dust-of-sunlight-the-mouth-of-a/) [Anna Akhmatova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-akhmatova/) > [We think literature is immortal, but even that decays and ultimately turns to dust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-farren/we-think-literature-is-immortal-but-even-that-decays-and-ultimately/) [Mick Farren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-farren/) > [She had been dragged in the most humiliating of all dusts, the dust reserved for older women who let themselves be approached, on amorous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-von-arnim/she-had-been-dragged-in-the-most-humiliating-of-all-dusts-the-dust/) [Elizabeth von Arnim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-von-arnim/) > [“Veiled by the dust of its own passing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-rogers/veiled-by-the-dust-of-its-own-passing/) Cameron Rogers > [Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this \[step by step, from humans to apes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us-with-so-extraordinary-a/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) ## More by H. Jackson Brown, Jr > [Hire people more for their judgment than for their talents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/hire-people-more-for-their-judgment-than-for-their-talents/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [We're constantly striving for success, fame and comfort when all we really need to be happy is someone or some thing to be enthusiastic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/we-re-constantly-striving-for-success-fame-and-comfort-when-all-we/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [Develop a sense of urgency in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/develop-a-sense-of-urgency-in-your-life/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [Give children toys that are powered by their imagination, not by batteries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/give-children-toys-that-are-powered-by-their-imagination-not-by/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [Dont say you dont have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/dont-say-you-dont-have-enough-time-you-have-exactly-the-same-number/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [Put a love note in his shaving kit before he leaves on a business trip.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/put-a-love-note-in-his-shaving-kit-before-he-leaves-on-a-business-trip/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [Always have something beautiful in sight, even if it's just a daisy in a jelly glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/always-have-something-beautiful-in-sight-even-if-it-s-just-a-daisy-in/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [You can get by on charm for about 15 minutes. After that, you better know something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/you-can-get-by-on-charm-for-about-15-minutes-after-that-you-better/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [Spend your time and energy creating, not criticizing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/spend-your-time-and-energy-creating-not-criticizing/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [Oh, the difference between nearly right and exactly right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/oh-the-difference-between-nearly-right-and-exactly-right/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [Become the world's most thoughtful friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/become-the-world-s-most-thoughtful-friend/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [Remember that almost everything looks better after a good night's sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/remember-that-almost-everything-looks-better-after-a-good-night-s/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [Mature love is composed and sustaining; a celebration of commitment, companionship, and trust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/mature-love-is-composed-and-sustaining-a-celebration-of-commitment/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [Remember that creating a successful marriage is like farming: you have to start over again every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/remember-that-creating-a-successful-marriage-is-like-farming-you-have/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [Be modest. A lot was accomplished before you were born.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/be-modest-a-lot-was-accomplished-before-you-were-born/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) [Explore all 239 H. Jackson Brown, Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) ## More Dust quotes > [Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this \[step by step, from humans to apes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us-with-so-extraordinary-a/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [“Veiled by the dust of its own passing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-rogers/veiled-by-the-dust-of-its-own-passing/) Cameron Rogers > [She had been dragged in the most humiliating of all dusts, the dust reserved for older women who let themselves be approached, on amorous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-von-arnim/she-had-been-dragged-in-the-most-humiliating-of-all-dusts-the-dust/) [Elizabeth von Arnim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-von-arnim/) > [We think literature is immortal, but even that decays and ultimately turns to dust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-farren/we-think-literature-is-immortal-but-even-that-decays-and-ultimately/) [Mick Farren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-farren/) > [Wild honey smells of freedom The dust - of sunlight The mouth of a young girl, like a violet But gold - smells of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-akhmatova/wild-honey-smells-of-freedom-the-dust-of-sunlight-the-mouth-of-a/) [Anna Akhmatova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-akhmatova/) > [“People were made of nothing so much as dust, and I couldn't see that doctoring all that dust was a bit better than writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/people-were-made-of-nothing-so-much-as-dust-and-i-couldn-t-see-that/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [Mr. Bumpy from Bump in the Night was this funky little guy who lived under the bed and thought eating dust bunnies was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/mr-bumpy-from-bump-in-the-night-was-this-funky-little-guy-who-lived/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) > [At about 10 o'clock in the morning the sun threw a bright dust-laden bar through one of the side windows and in and out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/at-about-10-o-clock-in-the-morning-the-sun-threw-a-bright-dust-laden/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I assume my stance, and take back the club, low, slowly; at the top, my eyes fog over, and my joints dip and swirl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-assume-my-stance-and-take-back-the-club-low-slowly-at-the-top-my/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [When any civilization is dust and ashes," he said, "art is all that's left over. Images, words, music. Imaginative structures. Meaning—human meaning, that is—is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/when-any-civilization-is-dust-and-ashes-he-said-art-is-all-that-s/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [When a man is not wanted in the village, he is always accused of raising dust even when he falls in a pool of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/when-a-man-is-not-wanted-in-the-village-he-is-always-accused-of/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Gatsby turned out all right at the end; it is what preyed on Gatsby, what foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/gatsby-turned-out-all-right-at-the-end-it-is-what-preyed-on-gatsby/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [I'm not a prophet, but I always thought it was natural for dictatorships to fall. I remember in 1989, two months before the fall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/i-m-not-a-prophet-but-i-always-thought-it-was-natural-for/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [Passing beauties are only the fugitive reflections of the eternal. All beauty alters and all life melts away; in short, everything passes with marvelous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliphas-levi/passing-beauties-are-only-the-fugitive-reflections-of-the-eternal-all/) [Eliphas Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliphas-levi/) > [The trees are white with dust, that o'er their sleep Wave their broad curtains in the south-wind's breath, While underneath such leafy tents they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/the-trees-are-white-with-dust-that-o-er-their-sleep-wave-their-broad/) [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/) Browse all 1,783 Dust quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You either make dust or eat dust.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "H. 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