From Coelho's The Alchemist, what might the habits of Santiago's sheep symbolize?

At the
beginning of Coelho's , Santiago is traveling the countryside with his
flock of sheep. He muses to himself about his sheep as follows:

"They were content with just food and water, and, in exchange, they generously
gave of their wool, their company, and--once in a while--their meat" (7).

The sheep represent most people in the world who do not seek or
discover their Personal Legends; and, in fact, daily habits get in the way of finding our
personal treasures. Most people go along in life working to supply themselves and their families
with the basic necessities of life--and...