--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Once we are self-aware, we must choose…" description: "\"Once we are self-aware, we must choose purposes and principles to live by; otherwise the vacuum will be filled, and we will lose our self-awareness and..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fde/stephen-covey-339_animal_once-we-are-self-aware-we-must-choose-pu_2001372.png" --- # Once we are self-aware, we must choose purposes and… ![“Once we are self-aware, we must choose purposes and principles to live by; otherwise the vacuum will be filled, and we will lose our self-awareness and become like groveling animals who live primarily for survival and propagation. People who exist on that level aren't living; they are being lived…” quote by Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fde/stephen-covey-339_animal_once-we-are-self-aware-we-must-choose-pu_2001372.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fde/stephen-covey-339_animal_once-we-are-self-aware-we-must-choose-pu_2001372.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fde/stephen-covey-339_animal_once-we-are-self-aware-we-must-choose-pu_2001372.png) > “Once we are self-aware, we must choose purposes and principles to live by; otherwise the vacuum will be filled, and we will lose our self-awareness and become like groveling animals who live primarily for survival and propagation. People who exist on that level aren't living; they are being lived. They are reacting, unaware of the unique endowments that lie dormant and undeveloped within.” [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) ## 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 demands deliberate purpose; without it, we revert to instinctual survival, losing our higher potential. **In simple terms:** Choose purpose to avoid becoming mere survival animals. Key Takeaway Define guiding principles now. Themes self-awareness purpose human potential existential risk Mood reflective serious Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career planning - personal development - leadership - spiritual practice Key Concepts existentialism psychology ethics Questions to Reflect On - What principles will you adopt? - How do you maintain awareness amidst routine? A Different Perspective Purpose alone may not guarantee fulfillment without action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Awareness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awareness/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Personal development](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-development/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self -awareness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-awareness/) [Self Awareness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-awareness-3/) [Survival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survival/) ## Related quotes > [Once we are self-aware, we must choose purposes and principles to live by; otherwise the vacuum will be filled, and we will lose our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/once-we-are-self-aware-we-must-choose-purposes-and-principles-to-live-2/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [If we look further, we see that we actually contain all of existence. Everyone who has ever been or will ever be, is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-we-look-further-we-see-that-we-actually-contain-all-of-existence/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [In addition to self-awareness, imagination and conscience, it is the fourth human endowment - independent will - that really makes effective self-management possible. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/in-addition-to-self-awareness-imagination-and-conscience-it-is-the/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [Awareness is not the same as thought. It lies beyond thinking, although it makes no use of thinking, honoring it's value and it's power.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/awareness-is-not-the-same-as-thought-it-lies-beyond-thinking-although/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [“Such awareness is like living with a snake in the room; you watch its every movement, you are very, very sensitive to the slightest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/such-awareness-is-like-living-with-a-snake-in-the-room-you-watch-its/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [Keeping a personal journal a daily in-depth analysis and evaluation of your experiences is a high-leverage activity that increases self-awareness and enhances all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/keeping-a-personal-journal-a-daily-in-depth-analysis-and-evaluation/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [I operate better with education and awareness, like I think all of us do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-slater/i-operate-better-with-education-and-awareness-like-i-think-all-of-us/) [Christian Slater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-slater/) > [Awareness is like the sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/awareness-is-like-the-sun-when-it-shines-on-things-they-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Too many vacations that last too long, too many movies, too much TV, too much video game playing - too much undisciplined leisure time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/too-many-vacations-that-last-too-long-too-many-movies-too-much-tv-too/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [ “What is the same in every human being and doesn't change? \[...\] That you exist. The words we use to express this concept are… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-giesemann/what-is-the-same-in-every-human-being-and-doesn-t-change-that-you/) [Suzanne Giesemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-giesemann/) > [“Self-awareness is like an onion. There are multiple layers to it, and the more you peel them back, the more likely you’re going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-manson/self-awareness-is-like-an-onion-there-are-multiple-layers-to-it-and/) [Mark Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-manson/) > [Once you start to question your life you get to a higher level of awareness. It's like turning a light on-voila you see you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-judd/once-you-start-to-question-your-life-you-get-to-a-higher-level-of/) [Naomi Judd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-judd/) > [Awareness must be like the rays of the sun: extending everywhere, illuminating all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-k-s-iyengar/awareness-must-be-like-the-rays-of-the-sun-extending-everywhere/) [B.K.S. Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-k-s-iyengar/) > [ We should try to learn the nature of \[the spirit of revelation\]. . . . This is the grand means that the Lord has… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorenzo-snow/we-should-try-to-learn-the-nature-of-the-spirit-of-revelation-this-is/) [Lorenzo Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorenzo-snow/) > [We have a very robust online business, but convincing luxury houses to join us on the website has involved a lot of groveling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-katz/we-have-a-very-robust-online-business-but-convincing-luxury-houses-to/) [Karen Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-katz/) ## More by Stephen Covey > [You can't have the fruits without the roots. It's the principle of sequencing: Private Victories proceed Public Victories. Self-mastery and self-discipline are the foundation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/you-can-t-have-the-fruits-without-the-roots-it-s-the-principle-of/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [Empathic listening takes time, but it doesn't take anywhere near as much time as it takes to back up and correct misunderstandings when you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/empathic-listening-takes-time-but-it-doesn-t-take-anywhere-near-as/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [The fire inside people is like a match; the way to ignite that flame is initially through friction, then other matches are lit through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/the-fire-inside-people-is-like-a-match-the-way-to-ignite-that-flame/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [In a very real sense, there are only two roles in organisations: customers and suppliers. 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