--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Be conscious first of thyself within…" description: "\"Be conscious first of thyself within, then think and act. All living thought is a world in preparation; all real act is a thought manifested. The mater..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67d/sri-aurobindo-1257_conscious_be-conscious-first-of-thyself-within-the_1174424.png" --- # Be conscious first of thyself within, then think and act… ![“Be conscious first of thyself within, then think and act. All living thought is a world in preparation; all real act is a thought manifested. The material world exists because an idea began to play in divine self–consciousness.” quote by Sri Aurobindo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67d/sri-aurobindo-1257_conscious_be-conscious-first-of-thyself-within-the_1174424.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67d/sri-aurobindo-1257_conscious_be-conscious-first-of-thyself-within-the_1174424.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67d/sri-aurobindo-1257_conscious_be-conscious-first-of-thyself-within-the_1174424.png) > “Be conscious first of thyself within, then think and act. All living thought is a world in preparation; all real act is a thought manifested. The material world exists because an idea began to play in divine self–consciousness.” [Sri Aurobindo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-aurobindo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑awareness precedes thought and action; reality emerges from divine consciousness manifesting ideas. **In simple terms:** Know yourself before acting; thoughts become reality. Key Takeaway Cultivate self‑knowledge to shape actions. Themes self‑awareness thought manifestation Mood contemplative inspirational Type philosophical spiritual When to use this quote - meditation - creative projects - leadership - personal development Key Concepts philosophy spirituality Questions to Reflect On - How does self‑knowledge influence your decisions? - Can ideas become reality without conscious intent? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on inner focus may neglect practical realities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consciousness/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Material world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/material-world/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Preparation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preparation/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self conscious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-conscious/) [Self consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-consciousness/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Be conscious first of thyself within, then think and act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-aurobindo/be-conscious-first-of-thyself-within-then-think-and-act/) [Sri Aurobindo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-aurobindo/) > [I think of my body as a side effect of my mind. Like a thought I had once that manifested itself-- Oops! Oh no!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-fisher/i-think-of-my-body-as-a-side-effect-of-my-mind-like-a-thought-i-had/) [Carrie Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-fisher/) > [All matter is quantified thought - manifested by the thoughts you give precedence to. It is your dominant thoughts that determine your destiny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-gage/all-matter-is-quantified-thought-manifested-by-the-thoughts-you-give/) [Randy Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-gage/) > [“The dead are older than the living, he thought. Irrespective of how old they were when they passed over to the other side, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-kan-nesser/the-dead-are-older-than-the-living-he-thought-irrespective-of-how-old/) [Håkan Nesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-kan-nesser/) > [I read somewhere that some people believe that the entire universe is a matrix of living thought. And I said, "Man, if that's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-read-somewhere-that-some-people-believe-that-the-entire-universe-is/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [“he had to stand by while there proliferated in his own house such concepts as “the art of living thought” “the graph of spiritual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-musil/he-had-to-stand-by-while-there-proliferated-in-his-own-house-such/) [Robert Musil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-musil/) > [“In every time of season change: it is #wise to slow down and examine what our ego, thought-habits, and spiritual-energy are communicating to others...our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracey-bond/in-every-time-of-season-change-it-is-wise-to-slow-down-and-examine/) [Tracey Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracey-bond/) > [“A word is not a crystal, transparent and unchanged; it is the skin of a living thought and may vary greatly in colour and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/a-word-is-not-a-crystal-transparent-and-unchanged-it-is-the-skin-of-a/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [When you begin to sense that your imagination is the place where you are most divine, you feel called to clean out of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/when-you-begin-to-sense-that-your-imagination-is-the-place-where-you/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) > [History is the "know thyself" of humanity - the self-consciousness of mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-gustav-droysen/history-is-the-know-thyself-of-humanity-the-self-consciousness-of/) Johann Gustav Droysen > [Material things are not to be despised-without them there can be no manifestation in the material world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-aurobindo/material-things-are-not-to-be-despised-without-them-there-can-be-no/) [Sri Aurobindo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-aurobindo/) > [Transform reason into ordered intuition; let all thyself be light. This is thy goal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-aurobindo/transform-reason-into-ordered-intuition-let-all-thyself-be-light-this/) [Sri Aurobindo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-aurobindo/) > [Arise, transcend Thyself, Thou art man and the whole nature of man Is to become more than himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-aurobindo/arise-transcend-thyself-thou-art-man-and-the-whole-nature-of-man-is/) [Sri Aurobindo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-aurobindo/) > [Rather hang thyself than belong to the horde of successful imitators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-aurobindo/rather-hang-thyself-than-belong-to-the-horde-of-successful-imitators/) [Sri Aurobindo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-aurobindo/) > [When thou findest thyself scorning another, look then at thy own heart and laugh at thy folly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-aurobindo/when-thou-findest-thyself-scorning-another-look-then-at-thy-own-heart/) [Sri Aurobindo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-aurobindo/) ## More by Sri Aurobindo > [“Across the threshold’s sleep she entered in And found herself amid great figures of gods Conscious in stone and living without breath, Watching with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-aurobindo/across-the-threshold-s-sleep-she-entered-in-and-found-herself-amid/) [Sri Aurobindo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-aurobindo/) > [Perfect health, sincerity, honesty, straightforwardness, courage, disinterestedness, unselfishness, patience, endurance, perseverance, peace, calm, self control are all things that are taught infinitely better by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-aurobindo/perfect-health-sincerity-honesty-straightforwardness-courage/) [Sri Aurobindo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-aurobindo/) > [Hinduism... gave itself no name, because it set itself no sectarian limits; it claimed no universal adhesion, asserted no sole infallible dogma, set up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-aurobindo/hinduism-gave-itself-no-name-because-it-set-itself-no-sectarian/) [Sri Aurobindo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-aurobindo/) > [Do not belong to the past dawns,but to the noons of future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-aurobindo/do-not-belong-to-the-past-dawns-but-to-the-noons-of-future/) [Sri Aurobindo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-aurobindo/) > [There is no greater pride and glory than to be a perfect instrument of the Master.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-aurobindo/there-is-no-greater-pride-and-glory-than-to-be-a-perfect-instrument/) [Sri Aurobindo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-aurobindo/) > [Delight is the secret. 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Elton Trueblood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-elton-trueblood/) > [Repugnant is a creature who would squander the ability To lift an eye to heaven, conscious of his fleeting time here](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/repugnant-is-a-creature-who-would-squander-the-ability-to-lift-an-eye/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [The goal of the Creator is for each entity to make a conscious choice to again seek Oneness, out of our own free will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wilcock/the-goal-of-the-creator-is-for-each-entity-to-make-a-conscious-choice/) [David Wilcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wilcock/) > [I know one thing: that you can do a lot of things but if you don't educate people into conscious anarchism it gets frittered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-bookchin/i-know-one-thing-that-you-can-do-a-lot-of-things-but-if-you-don-t/) [Murray Bookchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-bookchin/) > [All black people who are even minimally conscious, black people who have ever experienced Europe's technological power crusading in the vanguard of a civilizing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-nkosi/all-black-people-who-are-even-minimally-conscious-black-people-who/) [Lewis Nkosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-nkosi/) > [ A mind conscious of right laughs at the falsehoods of rumour. \[Lat., Conscia mens recti famae mendacia risit.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/a-mind-conscious-of-right-laughs-at-the-falsehoods-of-rumour-lat/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [I don't think my paintings are self-conscious but you feel the consciousness of them. Without them being self-conscious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-schnabel/i-don-t-think-my-paintings-are-self-conscious-but-you-feel-the/) [Julian Schnabel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-schnabel/) Browse all 3,716 Conscious quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Be conscious first of thyself within, then think and act. All living thought is a world in preparation; all real act is a thought manifested. 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