--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The millions are awake enough for…" description: "\"The millions are awake enough for physical labor; but only one in a million is awake enough for effective intellectual exertion, only one in a hundred ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/179/henry-david-thoreau-20_ability_the-millions-are-awake-enough-for-physic_2682595.jpg" --- # The millions are awake enough for physical labor; but only… ![“The millions are awake enough for physical labor; but only one in a million is awake enough for effective intellectual exertion, only one in a hundred million to a poetic or divine life. To be awake is to be alive. I have never yet met a man who was quite awake. How could I have looked him in the…” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/179/henry-david-thoreau-20_ability_the-millions-are-awake-enough-for-physic_2682595.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/179/henry-david-thoreau-20_ability_the-millions-are-awake-enough-for-physic_2682595.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/179/henry-david-thoreau-20_ability_the-millions-are-awake-enough-for-physic_2682595.jpg) > “The millions are awake enough for physical labor; but only one in a million is awake enough for effective intellectual exertion, only one in a hundred million to a poetic or divine life. To be awake is to be alive. I have never yet met a man who was quite awake. How could I have looked him in the face? We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aids, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn, which does not forsake us in our soundest sleep. I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by conscious endeavor.” [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Awakening of mind and spirit is rarer than physical labor; conscious effort elevates life **In simple terms:** Awakening of mind is rarer than physical labor Key Takeaway Seek conscious, purposeful awakening Themes awakening conscious effort spiritual growth Mood inspirational reflective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal growth - creative pursuits - spiritual practice Key Concepts existentialism self‑actualization Questions to Reflect On - What daily habits foster true intellectual awakening? - How can society support deeper conscious effort? A Different Perspective Awakening may be hindered by complacency and distraction ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) [Dawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dawn/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine/) [Divine life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine-life/) [Endeavor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/endeavor/) [Expectations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectations/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual/) [Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [One in a million](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-in-a-million/) [Poetic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetic/) [Sleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sleep/) ## Related quotes > [The millions are awake enough for physical labor; but only one in a million is awake enough for effective intellectual exertion, only one in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-millions-are-awake-enough-for-physical-labor-but-only-one-in-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Morning is when I am awake and there is a dawn in me. Moral reform is the effort to throw off sleep. The millions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/morning-is-when-i-am-awake-and-there-is-a-dawn-in-me-moral-reform-is/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aids, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn, which does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/we-must-learn-to-reawaken-and-keep-ourselves-awake-not-by-mechanical/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/we-must-learn-to-reawaken-and-keep-ourselves-awake/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aids, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn, which does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/we-must-learn-to-reawaken-and-keep-ourselves-awake-not-by-mechanical-3/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aids, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/we-must-learn-to-reawaken-and-keep-ourselves-awake-not-by-mechanical-2/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Almost any man knows how to earn money, but not one in a million knows how to spend it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/almost-any-man-knows-how-to-earn-money-but-not-one-in-a-million-knows/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The poet's body even is not fed like other men's, but he sometimes tastes the genuine nectar and ambrosia of the gods, and lives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-poet-s-body-even-is-not-fed-like-other-men-s-but-he-sometimes/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Was awakened in the night to a strain of music dying away, - passing travellers singing. My being was so expanded and infinitely and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/was-awakened-in-the-night-to-a-strain-of-music-dying-away-passing/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Modern life was so fleeting. You could spend all day reading blogs, jerking off, sending e-mails, watching reality television, playing video games, drinking beers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-goldfarb/modern-life-was-so-fleeting-you-could-spend-all-day-reading-blogs/) [Aaron Goldfarb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-goldfarb/) > [“Each day begins a new journey of life, for if we awake, there is a reason.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bethanie-armstrong/each-day-begins-a-new-journey-of-life-for-if-we-awake-there-is-a/) Bethanie Armstrong > [“...my awakening life. I am awake in the present. The present is today. Today is a great gift.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/my-awakening-life-i-am-awake-in-the-present-the-present-is-today/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“All my life was awake and astir in my frame...and he I was not to array myself to meet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/all-my-life-was-awake-and-astir-in-my-frame-and-he-i-was-not-to-array/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [“We can lead our life so as to become more awake to who we are and what we're doing rather than trying to improve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/we-can-lead-our-life-so-as-to-become-more-awake-to-who-we-are-and/) [Pema Chödrön](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [To be awake is to be completely alive. I have never yet met a man who was quite awake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/to-be-awake-is-to-be-completely-alive-i-have-never-yet-met-a-man-who/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## More by Henry David Thoreau > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Men say they know many things; But lo! they have taken wings, — The arts and sciences, And a thousand appliances; The wind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-say-they-know-many-things-but-lo-they-have-taken-wings-the-arts/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-spending-of-the-best-part-of-one-s-life-earning-money-in-order/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A traveler who looks at things with an impartial eye may see what the oldest inhabitant has not observed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-traveler-who-looks-at-things-with-an-impartial-eye-may-see-what-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-had-three-chairs-in-my-house-one-for-solitude-two-for-friendship/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The still youthful energies of the globe have only to be directed in their proper channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-still-youthful-energies-of-the-globe-have-only-to-be-directed-in/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Concord's little arch does not span all our fate, nor is what transpires under it law for the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/concord-s-little-arch-does-not-span-all-our-fate-nor-is-what/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The lumberers rarely trouble themselves to put out their fires, such is the dampness of the primitive forest; and this is one cause, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-lumberers-rarely-trouble-themselves-to-put-out-their-fires-such/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“When he has obtained those things which are necessary to life, there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities; and that is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-he-has-obtained-those-things-which-are-necessary-to-life-there/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Explore all 3,376 Henry David Thoreau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The millions are awake enough for physical labor; but only one in a million is awake enough for effective intellectual exertion, only one in a hundred million to a poetic or divine life. 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