There's a famous quote from Star Wars by obi wan that's troubleled me since I heard it:

"Only a Syth deals in absolutes."

It's troubling because the nature of the meaning of the statement applies to the statement itself: it is an absolute statement, the very utterance of which proves that obi wan is himself a syth.

I think being "awake" has something to do with the ability with which one can notice such things in their environment.