--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Wake up first. Wake up, and then you can…" description: "\"“Wake up first. Wake up, and then you can double back and perhaps be of some use to others if you still have the urge. Wake up first, with pure and una..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36b/jed-mckenna-15841_awaken_wake-up-first-wake-up-and-then-you-can-d_1477819.jpg" --- # Wake up first. Wake up, and then you can double back and… ![“Wake up first. Wake up, and then you can double back and perhaps be of some use to others if you still have the urge. Wake up first, with pure and unapologetic selfishness, or you’re just another shipwreck victim floundering in the ocean and all the compassion in the world is of absolutely no use…” quote by Jed McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36b/jed-mckenna-15841_awaken_wake-up-first-wake-up-and-then-you-can-d_1477819.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36b/jed-mckenna-15841_awaken_wake-up-first-wake-up-and-then-you-can-d_1477819.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36b/jed-mckenna-15841_awaken_wake-up-first-wake-up-and-then-you-can-d_1477819.jpg) > ““Wake up first. Wake up, and then you can double back and perhaps be of some use to others if you still have the urge. Wake up first, with pure and unapologetic selfishness, or you’re just another shipwreck victim floundering in the ocean and all the compassion in the world is of absolutely no use to the other victims floundering around you.”” [Jed McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-mckenna/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True self‑care requires first awakening to one's own needs before helping others, otherwise compassion is ineffective. **In simple terms:** Help yourself before helping others. Key Takeaway Prioritize self‑awareness. Themes self‑care compassion boundaries Mood introspective serious Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal growth - relationship counseling - mental health - leadership Key Concepts existentialism self‑actualization Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance self‑interest with altruism? - What signals indicate you need personal renewal? A Different Perspective Self‑focus can become selfish neglect of others. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Awaken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awaken/) [Selfishness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfishness/) [Selfishness Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfishness-just-724169/) [Urge Wake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/urge-wake-5378562/) [Use Victims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use-victims-1646172/) [Wake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wake/) [Wake Pure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wake-pure-5378563/) ## Related quotes > [“Bad enough to damage a world out of ignorance. But to do it willfully, in spite of knowing the truth . . . that’s a breed of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mack/bad-enough-to-damage-a-world-out-of-ignorance-but-to-do-it-willfully/) [David Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mack/) > [When we use memories, we are creators. But when our memories use us, we become victims.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/when-we-use-memories-we-are-creators-but-when-our-memories-use-us-we/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [“The point is to wake up, not to earn a Ph.D. In waking up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-mckenna/the-point-is-to-wake-up-not-to-earn-a-ph-d-in-waking-up/) [Jed McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-mckenna/) > [“Do you want to awaken? To stop being a false, artificial, self-benighted being? Then developing and sharpening this sense—the ability to detect fear and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-mckenna/do-you-want-to-awaken-to-stop-being-a-false-artificial-self-benighted/) [Jed McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-mckenna/) > [How do we awaken to this true Self? By going within and putting our attention on the silent presence in our heart - the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/how-do-we-awaken-to-this-true-self-by-going-within-and-putting-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Unless you awaken to your own truth, You will continue to live a lie, A life led by the thoughts and demands of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/unless-you-awaken-to-your-own-truth-you-will-continue-to-live-a-lie-a/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Many spiritual seekers who say their wish is to awaken don't actually want what they believe they do. This becomes clear sometimes at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-frazier/many-spiritual-seekers-who-say-their-wish-is-to-awaken-don-t-actually/) [Jan Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-frazier/) > [“Death is the final sleep that you never awaken from.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/death-is-the-final-sleep-that-you-never-awaken-from/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“Once you have woken up from your slumber, help lots more others to be awaken, that is the duty you are here to play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anikor-daniel/once-you-have-woken-up-from-your-slumber-help-lots-more-others-to-be/) [ANIKOR Daniel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anikor-daniel/) > [“I write to awaken.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becca-menon/i-write-to-awaken/) [Becca Menon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becca-menon/) > [“Some days I like to wander to old and warn our places, forests ripped apart by man and streams that carry stagnant water where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-rowe/some-days-i-like-to-wander-to-old-and-warn-our-places-forests-ripped/) [Nikki Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-rowe/) > [“You have to learn where your weaknesses end and your strengths starts or you will spend your life focusing on all that falls apart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-rowe/you-have-to-learn-where-your-weaknesses-end-and-your-strengths-starts/) [Nikki rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-rowe/) > [Wherever you are is the perfect place to awaken. This moment is the exact place to practice compassion and loving awareness. You have all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/wherever-you-are-is-the-perfect-place-to-awaken-this-moment-is-the/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) > [When we dead awaken ... we see that we have never lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/when-we-dead-awaken-we-see-that-we-have-never-lived/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [“It is not so much about fighting against the ego; it is more about harmonizing with it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-sara/it-is-not-so-much-about-fighting-against-the-ego-it-is-more-about/) [Grace Sara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-sara/) ## More by Jed McKenna > [“The American dream of freedom and abundance is just a child’s rendering of true freedom and abundance, and serves only to convince people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-mckenna/the-american-dream-of-freedom-and-abundance-is-just-a-child-s/) [Jed McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-mckenna/) > [“I don’t see it as my role to save or rescue anybody any more than regular people feel the need to rescue each other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-mckenna/i-don-t-see-it-as-my-role-to-save-or-rescue-anybody-any-more-than/) [Jed McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-mckenna/) > [“Before enlightenment I believed my ego was me, then enlightenment comes along and no more ego, only the underlying reality. Now it’s after enlightenment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-mckenna/before-enlightenment-i-believed-my-ego-was-me-then-enlightenment/) [Jed McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-mckenna/) > [“No disrespect to the Buddha is intended. If there was a Buddha and he was enlightened, then it’s Buddhism that insults his memory, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-mckenna/no-disrespect-to-the-buddha-is-intended-if-there-was-a-buddha-and-he/) [Jed McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-mckenna/) > [“Suffering just means you’re having a bad dream. Happiness means you’re having a good dream. Enlightenment means getting out of the dream altogether.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-mckenna/suffering-just-means-you-re-having-a-bad-dream-happiness-means-you-re/) [Jed McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-mckenna/) > [“The point is to wake up, not to earn a Ph.D. In waking up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-mckenna/the-point-is-to-wake-up-not-to-earn-a-ph-d-in-waking-up/) [Jed McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-mckenna/) > [“There’s nothing left to contend against and nothing left that must be done, and there will never be anything that must be done ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-mckenna/there-s-nothing-left-to-contend-against-and-nothing-left-that-must-be/) [Jed McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-mckenna/) > [“How many years have I spent lighting incense and candles? Meditating? Chasing after gurus and teachers, reading all that crap, following every stupid new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-mckenna/how-many-years-have-i-spent-lighting-incense-and-candles-meditating/) [Jed McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-mckenna/) > [“Once you start seeing this place for the madhouse it is, you can’t stop seeing it that way. It’s everywhere, everyone. It doesn’t make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-mckenna/once-you-start-seeing-this-place-for-the-madhouse-it-is-you-can-t/) [Jed McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-mckenna/) > [“Further   Whoever was responsible for the idea of dividing self into lower and higher parts committed a serious crime against humanity. This division…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-mckenna/further-whoever-was-responsible-for-the-idea-of-dividing-self-into/) [Jed McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-mckenna/) > [“The emperor has no clothes, and sooner or later everyone is going to see what’s staring them right in the face. When that happens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-mckenna/the-emperor-has-no-clothes-and-sooner-or-later-everyone-is-going-to/) [Jed McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-mckenna/) > [“The you that you think of as you (and that thinks of you as you, and so on) is not you, it’s just the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-mckenna/the-you-that-you-think-of-as-you-and-that-thinks-of-you-as-you-and-so/) [Jed McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-mckenna/) > [“There seems to be an attitude that opinion counts for something. Goethe said none are so hopelessly enslaved as those who falsely believe they’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-mckenna/there-seems-to-be-an-attitude-that-opinion-counts-for-something/) [Jed McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-mckenna/) > [“I don’t have something you don’t; you believe something I don’t.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-mckenna/i-don-t-have-something-you-don-t-you-believe-something-i-don-t/) [Jed McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-mckenna/) > [“The really strange thing about being awake isn’t being awake; it’s the people that aren’t. They’re walking and talking in their dreamstates; some of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-mckenna/the-really-strange-thing-about-being-awake-isn-t-being-awake-it-s-the/) [Jed McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-mckenna/) [Explore all 41 Jed McKenna quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-mckenna/) ## More Awaken quotes > [“It is not so much about fighting against the ego; it is more about harmonizing with it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-sara/it-is-not-so-much-about-fighting-against-the-ego-it-is-more-about/) [Grace Sara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-sara/) > [When we dead awaken ... we see that we have never lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/when-we-dead-awaken-we-see-that-we-have-never-lived/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [Wherever you are is the perfect place to awaken. This moment is the exact place to practice compassion and loving awareness. You have all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/wherever-you-are-is-the-perfect-place-to-awaken-this-moment-is-the/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) > [“You have to learn where your weaknesses end and your strengths starts or you will spend your life focusing on all that falls apart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-rowe/you-have-to-learn-where-your-weaknesses-end-and-your-strengths-starts/) [Nikki rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-rowe/) > [“Some days I like to wander to old and warn our places, forests ripped apart by man and streams that carry stagnant water where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-rowe/some-days-i-like-to-wander-to-old-and-warn-our-places-forests-ripped/) [Nikki Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-rowe/) > [“I write to awaken.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becca-menon/i-write-to-awaken/) [Becca Menon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becca-menon/) > [“Once you have woken up from your slumber, help lots more others to be awaken, that is the duty you are here to play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anikor-daniel/once-you-have-woken-up-from-your-slumber-help-lots-more-others-to-be/) [ANIKOR Daniel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anikor-daniel/) > [“Death is the final sleep that you never awaken from.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/death-is-the-final-sleep-that-you-never-awaken-from/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [Many spiritual seekers who say their wish is to awaken don't actually want what they believe they do. This becomes clear sometimes at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-frazier/many-spiritual-seekers-who-say-their-wish-is-to-awaken-don-t-actually/) [Jan Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-frazier/) > [Unless you awaken to your own truth, You will continue to live a lie, A life led by the thoughts and demands of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/unless-you-awaken-to-your-own-truth-you-will-continue-to-live-a-lie-a/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [How do we awaken to this true Self? By going within and putting our attention on the silent presence in our heart - the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/how-do-we-awaken-to-this-true-self-by-going-within-and-putting-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [When all the Self was conquered and dead, when all passions and desires were silent, then the last must awaken, the innermost of Being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/when-all-the-self-was-conquered-and-dead-when-all-passions-and/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [“If you take society’s definition of knowing oneself, you will become lost in the many translations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-sara/if-you-take-society-s-definition-of-knowing-oneself-you-will-become/) [Grace Sara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-sara/) > [“Everything is simplicity there is nothing to do. There is no place to go. There is no thing to become. You are that, just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-adams/everything-is-simplicity-there-is-nothing-to-do-there-is-no-place-to/) [Robert Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-adams/) > [Trust your Heart. Value its intuition. Choose to let go of fear, and to open to the true and you will awaken to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mooji/trust-your-heart-value-its-intuition-choose-to-let-go-of-fear-and-to/) [Mooji](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mooji/) [Browse all 334 Awaken quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awaken/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Wake up first. Wake up, and then you can double back and perhaps be of some use to others if you still have the urge. 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