---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Live for today. Multitudes of people have…"
description: "\"Live for today. Multitudes of people have failed to live for today… What they have had within their grasp today they have missed entirely, because only..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/415/william-allen-white-14722_intrigued_live-for-today-multitudes-of-people-have_646514.jpg"
---

#  Live for today. Multitudes of people have failed to live…

![“Live for today. Multitudes of people have failed to live for today… What they have had within their grasp today they have missed entirely, because only the future has intrigued them.” quote by William Allen White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/415/william-allen-white-14722_intrigued_live-for-today-multitudes-of-people-have_646514.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/415/william-allen-white-14722_intrigued_live-for-today-multitudes-of-people-have_646514.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/415/william-allen-white-14722_intrigued_live-for-today-multitudes-of-people-have_646514.jpg)

> “Live for today. Multitudes of people have failed to live for today… What they have had within their grasp today they have missed entirely, because only the future has intrigued them.”

[William Allen White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-allen-white/)

## About This Quote

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

People often ignore present opportunities, chasing future possibilities.

**In simple terms:** Live in the moment, not just future dreams.

Key Takeaway

Focus on today’s chances.

Themes

mindfulness time opportunity regret

Mood

reflective inspirational

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- career choices
- relationship building
- health decisions
- creative projects

Key Concepts

present‑focused living psychology philosophy

Questions to Reflect On

- What are you missing by not acting now?
- How can you balance present joy with future goals?

A Different Perspective

Future planning still matters for stability.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Live for today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-for-today/) [Live Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-today/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/)

## Related quotes

> [I think the '60s were an extraordinary time. I feel bad for the kids today who missed this wonderful confluence, which was simultaneously a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-coyote/i-think-the-60s-were-an-extraordinary-time-i-feel-bad-for-the-kids/)

[Peter Coyote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-coyote/)

> [Every day I would wake up and think, 'Today is another missed opportunity to do something important.' After enough days like this, you start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-chesky/every-day-i-would-wake-up-and-think-today-is-another-missed/)

[Brian Chesky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-chesky/)

> [Pleaseure missed today might be missed forever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ofer/pleaseure-missed-today-might-be-missed-forever/)

Ofer

> [I look hot today you missed out- x](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danish/i-look-hot-today-you-missed-out-x/)

[Danish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danish/)

> [Science is the most exciting and sustained enterprise of discovery in the history of our species. It is the great adventure of our time.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/science-is-the-most-exciting-and-sustained-enterprise-of-discovery-in/)

[Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/)

> [Live for today plan for tomorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/live-for-today-plan-for-tomorrow/)

[Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/)

> [“Something is profoundly wrong with the way we live today. For thirty years we have made a virtue out of the pursuit of material…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/something-is-profoundly-wrong-with-the-way-we-live-today-for-thirty/)

[Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/)

> [The scriptures teach us the ways of the Lord. They answer questions about how to live today. They bring a light and a spirit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-d-nadauld/the-scriptures-teach-us-the-ways-of-the-lord-they-answer-questions/)

[Margaret D. Nadauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-d-nadauld/)

> [Learn From Yesterday, Live for Today, hope for tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/learn-from-yesterday-live-for-today-hope-for-tomorrow/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Live today as if it is your last day, because in reality you never know when death is coming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-elise/live-today-as-if-it-is-your-last-day-because-in-reality-you-never/)

Angelina Elise

> [Tomorrow's life is too late. Live today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martial/tomorrow-s-life-is-too-late-live-today/)

[Martial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martial/)

> [“when we look down on ourselves through the eyes of nature we are of absolutely no significance. It is a reality that each one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/when-we-look-down-on-ourselves-through-the-eyes-of-nature-we-are-of/)

[Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

> [Dance to a tune only you can hear,sing a happy song even if your sad, love your friends and family with all your heart.Tomorrow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/dance-to-a-tune-only-you-can-hear-sing-a-happy-song-even-if-your-sad/)

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

> [If you live for today you can live another day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalya-johnson/if-you-live-for-today-you-can-live-another-day/)

[Natalya Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalya-johnson/)

> [A very small percentage of the people in this world will actually experience and live today. So many people will be stuck on another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/a-very-small-percentage-of-the-people-in-this-world-will-actually/)

[Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/)

## More by William Allen White

> [“Every great movement needs an agitator. Every leader of spiritual ideals need a John the Baptist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-allen-white/every-great-movement-needs-an-agitator-every-leader-of-spiritual/)

[William Allen White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-allen-white/)

> [Youth should be radical. Youth should demand change in the world. Youth should not accept the old order if the world is to move…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-allen-white/youth-should-be-radical-youth-should-demand-change-in-the-world-youth/)

[William Allen White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-allen-white/)

> [I would rather have written Fables in Slang than be President.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-allen-white/i-would-rather-have-written-fables-in-slang-than-be-president/)

[William Allen White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-allen-white/)

> [Peace without justice is tyranny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-allen-white/peace-without-justice-is-tyranny/)

[William Allen White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-allen-white/)

> [I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-allen-white/i-am-not-afraid-of-tomorrow-for-i-have-seen-yesterday-and-i-love-today/)

[William Allen White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-allen-white/)

> [There is no insanity so devastating in man's life as utter sanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-allen-white/there-is-no-insanity-so-devastating-in-man-s-life-as-utter-sanity/)

[William Allen White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-allen-white/)

> [Whenever a free man is in chains we are threatened also. Whoever is fighting for liberty is defending America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-allen-white/whenever-a-free-man-is-in-chains-we-are-threatened-also-whoever-is/)

[William Allen White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-allen-white/)

> [Advertising is the genie which is transforming America into a place of comfort, luxury and ease for millions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-allen-white/advertising-is-the-genie-which-is-transforming-america-into-a-place/)

[William Allen White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-allen-white/)

> [Liberty is the only thing you cannot have unless you are willing to give it to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-allen-white/liberty-is-the-only-thing-you-cannot-have-unless-you-are-willing-to/)

[William Allen White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-allen-white/)

> [In education, we are striving not to teach youth to make a living, but to make a life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-allen-white/in-education-we-are-striving-not-to-teach-youth-to-make-a-living-but/)

[William Allen White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-allen-white/)

> [In the Barbecue is any four footed animal -- be it mouse or mastodon -- whose dressed carcass is roasted whole... at its best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-allen-white/in-the-barbecue-is-any-four-footed-animal-be-it-mouse-or-mastodon/)

[William Allen White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-allen-white/)

> [Liberty is the only thing you can't have unless you give it to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-allen-white/liberty-is-the-only-thing-you-can-t-have-unless-you-give-it-to-others/)

[William Allen White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-allen-white/)

> [If our colleges and universities do not breed men who riot, who rebel, who attack life with all the youthful vim and vigor, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-allen-white/if-our-colleges-and-universities-do-not-breed-men-who-riot-who-rebel/)

[William Allen White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-allen-white/)

> [Dip your pen into your arteries and write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-allen-white/dip-your-pen-into-your-arteries-and-write/)

[William Allen White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-allen-white/)

> [Greatness, generally speaking, is an unusual quantity of a usual quality grafted upon a common man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-allen-white/greatness-generally-speaking-is-an-unusual-quantity-of-a-usual/)

[William Allen White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-allen-white/)

[Explore all 45 William Allen White quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-allen-white/)

## More Intrigued quotes

> [My parents are divorced, and seeing that was really painful for me. Really painful for me. But that's also a big part of why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/my-parents-are-divorced-and-seeing-that-was-really-painful-for-me/)

[Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/)

> [I've always been interested in medicine and was pleased when my brother became a doctor. But after thinking seriously about that field, I realized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/i-ve-always-been-interested-in-medicine-and-was-pleased-when-my/)

[Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/)

> [Ultimately, we want to provide people with a unique experience, and an unexpected one as well. We'd like people to leave the theater having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rania-attieh/ultimately-we-want-to-provide-people-with-a-unique-experience-and-an/)

Rania Attieh

> [We're all intrigued, in our civilized world that we live in, and curious about how we would get on, on an undiscovered island that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/we-re-all-intrigued-in-our-civilized-world-that-we-live-in-and/)

[Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/)

> [Coal is the moral choice, particularly for the developing world... The model for the world right now should be Australia. Australia gets it. Scientifically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-morano/coal-is-the-moral-choice-particularly-for-the-developing-world-the/)

Marc Morano

> [Holly's theory about the army," Sharon explained. And what is it?" Denise asked, intrigued. Oh, that fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecelia-ahern/holly-s-theory-about-the-army-sharon-explained-and-what-is-it-denise/)

[Cecelia Ahern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecelia-ahern/)

> [Intrigued by that enigma, he dug so deeply into her sentiments that in search of interest he found love, because by trying to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/intrigued-by-that-enigma-he-dug-so-deeply-into-her-sentiments-that-in/)

[Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/)

> ['Smurfs' just seemed like a great way to represent a young father to be, guy in a marriage, work in conflict, and I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-patrick-harris/smurfs-just-seemed-like-a-great-way-to-represent-a-young-father-to-be/)

[Neil Patrick Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-patrick-harris/)

> [I've been for 10 years trying to make something out of my life as an actor. I've learned a lot but I haven't done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lee/i-ve-been-for-10-years-trying-to-make-something-out-of-my-life-as-an/)

[Christopher Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lee/)

> [When I see an image in my head that compels me, where there's this mystery about what's going to happen next or could happen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cary-fukunaga/when-i-see-an-image-in-my-head-that-compels-me-where-there-s-this/)

[Cary Fukunaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cary-fukunaga/)

> [I started using film as part of live theatre performance - what used to be called performance art - and I became intrigued by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-figgis/i-started-using-film-as-part-of-live-theatre-performance-what-used-to/)

[Mike Figgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-figgis/)

> [The danger of that - and there's a grave danger that I, myself, have to be very aware of - is that you become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-ornstein/the-danger-of-that-and-there-s-a-grave-danger-that-i-myself-have-to/)

[Leo Ornstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-ornstein/)

> [Ladies seem very intrigued by a guy who is ultra confident and acts like he doesn't need you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorma-taccone/ladies-seem-very-intrigued-by-a-guy-who-is-ultra-confident-and-acts/)

[Jorma Taccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorma-taccone/)

> [I'm intrigued by films that have a singular vision behind them. A lot of studio movies have ten writers by the time they're done.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-gugino/i-m-intrigued-by-films-that-have-a-singular-vision-behind-them-a-lot/)

[Carla Gugino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-gugino/)

> [“I am intrigued by the smile upon your face, and the sadness within your eyes”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-aldana/i-am-intrigued-by-the-smile-upon-your-face-and-the-sadness-within/)

[Jeremy Aldana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-aldana/)

Browse all 334 Intrigued quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Live for today. Multitudes of people have failed to live for today… What they have had within their grasp today they have missed entirely, because only the future has intrigued them.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "William Allen White"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-allen-white/live-for-today-multitudes-of-people-have-failed-to-live-for-today/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Intrigued"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-allen-white/live-for-today-multitudes-of-people-have-failed-to-live-for-today/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/415/william-allen-white-14722_intrigued_live-for-today-multitudes-of-people-have_646514.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/415/william-allen-white-14722_intrigued_live-for-today-multitudes-of-people-have_646514.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/415/william-allen-white-14722_intrigued_live-for-today-multitudes-of-people-have_646514.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Live for today. Multitudes of people have failed to live for today… What they have had within their grasp…” — William Allen White",
                "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": "William Allen White",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-allen-white/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Live for today. Multitudes of people...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-allen-white/live-for-today-multitudes-of-people-have-failed-to-live-for-today/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-allen-white/live-for-today-multitudes-of-people-have-failed-to-live-for-today/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
