--- 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/eec/henry-david-thoreau-20_alive_the-millions-are-awake-enough-for-physic_1621824.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 millions to a poetic or divine life. To be awake is to be alive.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eec/henry-david-thoreau-20_alive_the-millions-are-awake-enough-for-physic_1621824.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eec/henry-david-thoreau-20_alive_the-millions-are-awake-enough-for-physic_1621824.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eec/henry-david-thoreau-20_alive_the-millions-are-awake-enough-for-physic_1621824.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 millions to a poetic or divine life. To be awake is to be alive.” [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. Only a tiny fraction of people engage in deep intellectual or artistic work; true awakening means living fully through thought and creativity. **In simple terms:** Few awaken to deep thought; awakening equals true life. Key Takeaway Pursue deeper intellectual or artistic engagement. Themes philosophy creativity human potential Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - education - personal development - creative practice Key Concepts existentialism mindfulness artistic expression Questions to Reflect On - What prevents most people from deep intellectual work? - How can society value poetic or divine pursuits? A Different Perspective Neglects practical necessities and societal constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine/) [Divine life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine-life/) [Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual/) [Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [One in a million](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-in-a-million/) [Poetic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetic/) ## 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-2/) [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [“...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/) > [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/) > [“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/) > [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/) > [“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 > [I don't believe athletes should be role models. . . . We're a one-shot deal, one in a million, so we should be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-barkley/i-don-t-believe-athletes-should-be-role-models-we-re-a-one-shot-deal/) [Charles Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-barkley/) > [They can call me crazy if I fail, all the chance that I need, is one-in-a-million and they can call me brilliant if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ani-difranco/they-can-call-me-crazy-if-i-fail-all-the-chance-that-i-need-is-one-in/) [Ani DiFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ani-difranco/) > [You hear all these stories about, 'There's one in a million guys that make it to the NBA and stay there.' To see people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durant/you-hear-all-these-stories-about-there-s-one-in-a-million-guys-that/) [Kevin Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durant/) > [The usual people tried to claim responsibility. First the IRA , then the PLO and the Gas Board. Even British Nuclear Fuels rushed out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-usual-people-tried-to-claim-responsibility-first-the-ira-then-the/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) ## 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 Alive quotes > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) Adam Ant > [I don't crave applause. I'm not one of those guys who comes alive on stage. I'm much more alive at home, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-don-t-crave-applause-i-m-not-one-of-those-guys-who-comes-alive-on/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [We must master our egoism, and through this mastery, step outside ourselves and educate ourselves in giving. Fasting requires that we rediscover all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/we-must-master-our-egoism-and-through-this-mastery-step-outside/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) > [I can't say that there are 'things' that make me come alive. There are thoughts that make me come alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-can-t-say-that-there-are-things-that-make-me-come-alive-there-are/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [We're like the wicked witch. We promise gingerbread, then eat the little brats alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/we-re-like-the-wicked-witch-we-promise-gingerbread-then-eat-the/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-costas/if-jovan-belcher-didn-t-possess-a-gun-he-and-kasandra-perkins-would/) [Bob Costas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-costas/) > [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/) [David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/) > [I think adoption becomes complicated whenever the biological parents are alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haven/i-think-adoption-becomes-complicated-whenever-the-biological-parents/) [James Haven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haven/) > [The pain of love is the pain of being alive. It is a perpetual wound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-duffy/the-pain-of-love-is-the-pain-of-being-alive-it-is-a-perpetual-wound/) [Maureen Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-duffy/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [If Melanchthon were alive today, he might not weep because of controversies that surround the Lord's Supper, but he might well sorrow because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-w-lutzer/if-melanchthon-were-alive-today-he-might-not-weep-because-of/) [Erwin W. Lutzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-w-lutzer/) > [If you’re alive, don’t move, if you’re dead, don’t worry about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/if-you-re-alive-don-t-move-if-you-re-dead-don-t-worry-about-it/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [Here Greek and Roman find themselves alive along these crowded shelves; and Shakespeare treads again his stage, and Chaucer paints anew his age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/here-greek-and-roman-find-themselves-alive-along-these-crowded/) [John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/) > [You're alive!" Fezzik cried. The man in black sat immobile, like a ventriloquist's dummy, just his mouth moving. "That is perhaps the most childishly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/you-re-alive-fezzik-cried-the-man-in-black-sat-immobile-like-a/) [William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/) [Browse all 7,282 Alive quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) ```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 millions to a poetic or divine life. 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