--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Materialism has never been so ominous as…" description: "\"Materialism has never been so ominous as now in North America, as management takes over.\" — Arthur Erickson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ba/arthur-erickson-10035_america_materialism-has-never-been-so-ominous-as_842500.jpg" --- # Materialism has never been so ominous as now in North… ![“Materialism has never been so ominous as now in North America, as management takes over.” quote by Arthur Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ba/arthur-erickson-10035_america_materialism-has-never-been-so-ominous-as_842500.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ba/arthur-erickson-10035_america_materialism-has-never-been-so-ominous-as_842500.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ba/arthur-erickson-10035_america_materialism-has-never-been-so-ominous-as_842500.jpg) > “Materialism has never been so ominous as now in North America, as management takes over.” [Arthur Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-erickson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He warns that consumer culture threatens cultural integrity, as corporate values dominate societal norms. **In simple terms:** Consumerism can erode cultural values. Key Takeaway Guard cultural heritage. Themes materialism culture corporate influence societal change North America Mood critical concerned analytical Type critical philosophical When to use this quote - urban planning - policy making - educational curricula - community activism - media analysis Key Concepts cultural preservation critical theory economic critique Questions to Reflect On - How can communities resist homogenizing consumer trends? - What policies protect cultural diversity? A Different Perspective Economic forces are powerful; change requires collective action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [America Management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america-management-657080/) [Management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/management/) [Management Takes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/management-takes-657079/) [Materialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/materialism/) [Materialism Ominous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/materialism-ominous-657078/) [North america](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/north-america/) [Ominous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ominous/) [Ominous North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ominous-north-657081/) ## Related quotes > [I own almost 100 hotels in North America. Some of them are only in management, but some of them we have some small stakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-waleed-bin-talal/i-own-almost-100-hotels-in-north-america-some-of-them-are-only-in/) [Al-Waleed bin Talal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-waleed-bin-talal/) > [With production alone as the goal, industry in North America was dominated by the assembly line, standardization for mass consumption.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-erickson/with-production-alone-as-the-goal-industry-in-north-america-was/) [Arthur Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-erickson/) > [“Bond looked at the beautiful day and smiled. And no man, not even Mr. Big, would have liked the expression on his face.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/bond-looked-at-the-beautiful-day-and-smiled-and-no-man-not-even-mr/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“I find it intolerable that this lord is out there going about his depravities unhindered. I was hoping you might know some way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-lindsey/i-find-it-intolerable-that-this-lord-is-out-there-going-about-his/) [Johanna Lindsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-lindsey/) > [Great griefs exhaust. They discourage us with life. The man into whom they enter feels something taken from him. In youth, their visit is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/great-griefs-exhaust-they-discourage-us-with-life-the-man-into-whom/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“It's my belief that if we do not willingly embrace the challenge of Eden with all our hearts, then we will likely be forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mango-wodzak/it-s-my-belief-that-if-we-do-not-willingly-embrace-the-challenge-of/) [Mango Wodzak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mango-wodzak/) > [Sunday morning may be cheery enough, with its extra cup of coffee and litter of Sunday newspapers, but there is always hanging over it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-benchley/sunday-morning-may-be-cheery-enough-with-its-extra-cup-of-coffee-and/) [Robert Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-benchley/) > [...and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/and-see-ominous-clouds-of-inferiority-beginning-to-form-in-her-little/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [“It was what should have been a bright summer day, but the smoke from the burning world filled the sky, through which the sun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/it-was-what-should-have-been-a-bright-summer-day-but-the-smoke-from/) [Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/) > [I like to think that I'm not as ominous in real life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dae-kim/i-like-to-think-that-i-m-not-as-ominous-in-real-life/) [Daniel Dae Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dae-kim/) > [The younger and healthier a woman is and the more her new and glossy body seems destined for eternal freshness, the less useful is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/the-younger-and-healthier-a-woman-is-and-the-more-her-new-and-glossy/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [When 1:45 came, half the class left, and Danny Hupfer whispered, "If she gives you a cream puff after we leave, I'm going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-d-schmidt/when-1-45-came-half-the-class-left-and-danny-hupfer-whispered-if-she/) [Gary D. Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-d-schmidt/) > [I'm wondering if there's a spell to make lightning flash in the background whenever I make an ominous resolution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/i-m-wondering-if-there-s-a-spell-to-make-lightning-flash-in-the/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [“He liked murder. Murder and long walks had been two of his favorite things when he was younger.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-landy/he-liked-murder-murder-and-long-walks-had-been-two-of-his-favorite/) [Derek Landy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-landy/) > [What is ominous is the ease with which some people go from saying that they don't like something to saying that the government should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/what-is-ominous-is-the-ease-with-which-some-people-go-from-saying/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) ## More by Arthur Erickson > [Does an architecture to assuage the spirit have a place in all this? Unfortunately we are no longer the interpreters of our culture's myths…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-erickson/does-an-architecture-to-assuage-the-spirit-have-a-place-in-all-this/) [Arthur Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-erickson/) > [The Achilles Heel of the Americas was the lack of cultural confidence typical of new settlers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-erickson/the-achilles-heel-of-the-americas-was-the-lack-of-cultural-confidence/) [Arthur Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-erickson/) > [After 1980, you never heard reference to space again. Surface, the most convincing evidence of the descent into materialism, became the focus of design.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-erickson/after-1980-you-never-heard-reference-to-space-again-surface-the-most/) [Arthur Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-erickson/) > [Inspiration in Science may have to do with ideas, but not in Art. In art it is in the senses that are instinctively responsive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-erickson/inspiration-in-science-may-have-to-do-with-ideas-but-not-in-art-in/) [Arthur Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-erickson/) > [Tahiti has been spoiled for many years, but Bali is one of the few cultures with origins in one of the great ancient cultures…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-erickson/tahiti-has-been-spoiled-for-many-years-but-bali-is-one-of-the-few/) [Arthur Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-erickson/) > [Today's developer is a poor substitute for the committed entrepreneur of the last century for whom the work of architecture represented a chance to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-erickson/today-s-developer-is-a-poor-substitute-for-the-committed-entrepreneur/) [Arthur Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-erickson/) > [Nearly all of the advances in structural and aesthetic innovation is coming from abroad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-erickson/nearly-all-of-the-advances-in-structural-and-aesthetic-innovation-is/) [Arthur Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-erickson/) > [No amount of thought can ever reveal what comes unexpectedly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-erickson/no-amount-of-thought-can-ever-reveal-what-comes-unexpectedly/) [Arthur Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-erickson/) > [Only when inspired to go beyond consciousness by some extraordinary insight does beauty manifest unexpectedly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-erickson/only-when-inspired-to-go-beyond-consciousness-by-some-extraordinary/) [Arthur Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-erickson/) > [The great dream merchant Disney was a success because make-believe was what everyone seemed to need in a spiritually empty land.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-erickson/the-great-dream-merchant-disney-was-a-success-because-make-believe/) [Arthur Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-erickson/) > [This great, though disastrous, culture can only change as we begin to stand off and see... the inveterate materialism which has become the model…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-erickson/this-great-though-disastrous-culture-can-only-change-as-we-begin-to/) [Arthur Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-erickson/) > [Does an architecture to assuage the spirit have a place?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-erickson/does-an-architecture-to-assuage-the-spirit-have-a-place/) [Arthur Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-erickson/) > [Ancient Rome was as confident of the immutability of its world and the continual expansion and improvement of the human lot as we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-erickson/ancient-rome-was-as-confident-of-the-immutability-of-its-world-and/) [Arthur Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-erickson/) > [The tourist transports his own values and demands to his destinations and implants them like an infectious disease, decimating whatever values existed before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-erickson/the-tourist-transports-his-own-values-and-demands-to-his-destinations/) [Arthur Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-erickson/) > [The Renaissance is studded by the names of the artists and architects, with their creations recorded as great historical events.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-erickson/the-renaissance-is-studded-by-the-names-of-the-artists-and-architects/) [Arthur Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-erickson/) [Explore all 68 Arthur Erickson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-erickson/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. 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