---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I always knew how privileged I was to…"
description: "\"I always knew how privileged I was to think for a living.\" — Hope Jahren"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/545/hope-jahren-4468_always_i-always-knew-how-privileged-i-was-to-th_1304572.jpg"
---

#  I always knew how privileged I was to think for a living.

![“I always knew how privileged I was to think for a living.” quote by Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/545/hope-jahren-4468_always_i-always-knew-how-privileged-i-was-to-th_1304572.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/545/hope-jahren-4468_always_i-always-knew-how-privileged-i-was-to-th_1304572.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/545/hope-jahren-4468_always_i-always-knew-how-privileged-i-was-to-th_1304572.jpg)

> “I always knew how privileged I was to think for a living.”

[Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

She reflects on the privilege of intellectual work, recognizing the rarity and responsibility of thinking as a profession.

**In simple terms:** Thinking for a living is a privilege.

Key Takeaway

Cherish and use intellectual privilege wisely.

Themes

education privilege responsibility

Mood

inspirational reflective

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- career planning
- academic pursuits
- public speaking

Key Concepts

Intellectualism self-awareness

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you honor your intellectual gifts?
- What responsibilities come with your knowledge?

A Different Perspective

May ignore systemic barriers to education.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/)

## Related quotes

> [You must get engaged with people who are far less privileged than you. I think you must devote your time if not your resources...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azim-premji/you-must-get-engaged-with-people-who-are-far-less-privileged-than-you/)

[Azim Premji](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azim-premji/)

> [I can only live my life in this way. I don't think I would be living it a different way if I wasn't acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dakota-fanning/i-can-only-live-my-life-in-this-way-i-don-t-think-i-would-be-living/)

[Dakota Fanning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dakota-fanning/)

> [I've always lived a life where people have said, 'Look at him. Who does he think he is?' And who I think I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-victor/i-ve-always-lived-a-life-where-people-have-said-look-at-him-who-does/)

Ed Victor

> [I think what I do for a living is a privilege, so at the very least, I'd like to think it can be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dede-gardner/i-think-what-i-do-for-a-living-is-a-privilege-so-at-the-very-least-i/)

[Dede Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dede-gardner/)

> [“Actually, I think living's the worst habit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/actually-i-think-living-s-the-worst-habit/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [I think we are living a life without specificity, and then our lives become abstractions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/i-think-we-are-living-a-life-without-specificity-and-then-our-lives/)

[Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/)

> [I think my whole living in vain involves me. I know that the biggest help for me is to help someone else in so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evander-holyfield/i-think-my-whole-living-in-vain-involves-me-i-know-that-the-biggest/)

[Evander Holyfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evander-holyfield/)

> [I am not that big of a fantasy person. I prefer myself to think of living in the real world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesaro/i-am-not-that-big-of-a-fantasy-person-i-prefer-myself-to-think-of/)

[Cesaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesaro/)

> [As I get older I realize it doesn't really matter what other people think, they are not living my life I am! LIVE as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/as-i-get-older-i-realize-it-doesn-t-really-matter-what-other-people/)

[Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/)

> [To not think of dying, is to not think of living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jann-arden/to-not-think-of-dying-is-to-not-think-of-living/)

[Jann Arden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jann-arden/)

> [I don't think you can sing about certain things when you're a teen-ager or in your early 20s, because you haven't lived long enough.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-jones/i-don-t-think-you-can-sing-about-certain-things-when-you-re-a-teen/)

[Tom Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-jones/)

> [I don't see much difference between living and working. I think living is a part of my work. People often say, 'How can you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wilson/i-don-t-see-much-difference-between-living-and-working-i-think-living/)

[Robert Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wilson/)

> [“Don't think you're living when you just exist!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-mostafa/don-t-think-you-re-living-when-you-just-exist/)

[Ahmed Mostafa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-mostafa/)

> [“You think i do not know how to live, but i think you are not even living, you just exist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haritha-velpureddy/you-think-i-do-not-know-how-to-live-but-i-think-you-are-not-even/)

[Haritha Velpureddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haritha-velpureddy/)

> [Most days I love it here. But I do have the odd day where I think, 'Why am I living in L.A.?' I wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bacon/most-days-i-love-it-here-but-i-do-have-the-odd-day-where-i-think-why/)

[Richard Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bacon/)

## More by Hope Jahren

> [A tree's wood is also its memoir.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/a-tree-s-wood-is-also-its-memoir/)

[Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/)

> [“You and I are going to work our asses off, teach them shit over and over, risk our fucking lives for them, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/you-and-i-are-going-to-work-our-asses-off-teach-them-shit-over-and/)

[Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/)

> [Men and women study things differently, and it's not because of our chromosomes. It's a product of our cultural conditioning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/men-and-women-study-things-differently-and-it-s-not-because-of-our/)

[Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/)

> [One thing that was very important to me was that I felt comfortable in the lab from being very, very small. I knew that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/one-thing-that-was-very-important-to-me-was-that-i-felt-comfortable/)

[Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/)

> [If every seed turned into a plant, we'd be living in a very different world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/if-every-seed-turned-into-a-plant-we-d-be-living-in-a-very-different/)

[Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/)

> [The live oak can grow sturdily on the hottest hills of central California, contrasting dark green against the golden grass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/the-live-oak-can-grow-sturdily-on-the-hottest-hills-of-central/)

[Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/)

> [I grew up playing with kids who were the kids of people my parents grew up playing with, and they know me like nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/i-grew-up-playing-with-kids-who-were-the-kids-of-people-my-parents/)

[Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/)

> [The world breaks a little bit every time we cut down a tree. It's so much easier to cut one down than to grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/the-world-breaks-a-little-bit-every-time-we-cut-down-a-tree-it-s-so/)

[Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/)

> [For a tree, to endure four months of daylight is like you or I going without sleep for four months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/for-a-tree-to-endure-four-months-of-daylight-is-like-you-or-i-going/)

[Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/)

> [I feel like I'm the same scientist I was back when I couldn't get a grant. Now I'm that same person thinking that same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/i-feel-like-i-m-the-same-scientist-i-was-back-when-i-couldn-t-get-a/)

[Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/)

> [Plants are decisive to a fault. A stem produces a bud that flowers once and once only. It offers pollen that is either dispersed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/plants-are-decisive-to-a-fault-a-stem-produces-a-bud-that-flowers/)

[Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/)

> [Even a very little girl can wield a slide rule, the cursor serving as a haft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/even-a-very-little-girl-can-wield-a-slide-rule-the-cursor-serving-as/)

[Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/)

> [“People will tell you that you have to know math to be a scientist, or physics or chemistry. They’re wrong. That’s like saying you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/people-will-tell-you-that-you-have-to-know-math-to-be-a-scientist-or/)

[Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/)

> [No matter how much funding I get, I'm always thinking, 'This is temporary. This is fragile. It could all end tomorrow, and how am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/no-matter-how-much-funding-i-get-i-m-always-thinking-this-is/)

[Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/)

> [“Everybody does all kinds of shit that they don’t know why they do. They just know that they have to,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/everybody-does-all-kinds-of-shit-that-they-don-t-know-why-they-do/)

[Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/)

[Explore all 110 Hope Jahren quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/)

## More Always quotes

> [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/)

[Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/)

> [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/)

[Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/)

> [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/)

[Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/)

> [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/)

[William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/)

> [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/)

[Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/)

> [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/)

[Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/)

> [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/)

[Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/)

> [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/)

[Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/)

> [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/)

[Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/)

> [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/)

[Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/)

> [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/)

[Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/)

> [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/)

[Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/)

> [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/)

[Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/)

> [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/)

[Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/)

Browse all 36,048 Always quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I always knew how privileged I was to think for a living.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Hope Jahren"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/i-always-knew-how-privileged-i-was-to-think-for-a-living/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Always"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/i-always-knew-how-privileged-i-was-to-think-for-a-living/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/545/hope-jahren-4468_always_i-always-knew-how-privileged-i-was-to-th_1304572.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/545/hope-jahren-4468_always_i-always-knew-how-privileged-i-was-to-th_1304572.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/545/hope-jahren-4468_always_i-always-knew-how-privileged-i-was-to-th_1304572.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I always knew how privileged I was to think for a living.” — Hope Jahren",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Hope Jahren",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I always knew how privileged I...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/i-always-knew-how-privileged-i-was-to-think-for-a-living/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/i-always-knew-how-privileged-i-was-to-think-for-a-living/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
