--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...What is the key word today?…" description: "\"“...What is the key word today? Disposable. The more you can throw it away the more it’s beautiful. The car, the furniture, the wife, the children—ever..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/116/arthur-miller-947_consumerism_what-is-the-key-word-today-disposable-th_526432.jpg" --- # ...What is the key word today? Disposable. The more you… ![“...What is the key word today? Disposable. The more you can throw it away the more it’s beautiful. The car, the furniture, the wife, the children—everything has to be disposable. Because you see the main thing today is—shopping. Years ago a person, he was unhappy, didn’t know what to do with…” quote by Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/116/arthur-miller-947_consumerism_what-is-the-key-word-today-disposable-th_526432.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/116/arthur-miller-947_consumerism_what-is-the-key-word-today-disposable-th_526432.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/116/arthur-miller-947_consumerism_what-is-the-key-word-today-disposable-th_526432.jpg) > ““...What is the key word today? Disposable. The more you can throw it away the more it’s beautiful. The car, the furniture, the wife, the children—everything has to be disposable. Because you see the main thing today is—shopping. Years ago a person, he was unhappy, didn’t know what to do with himself—he’d go to church, start a revolution—something. Today you’re unhappy? Can’t figure it out? What is the salvation? Go shopping… ...If they would close the stores for six months in this country there would be from coast to coast a regular massacre.”” [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Critiques consumer culture, suggesting that endless consumption replaces deeper meaning and leads to societal decay. **In simple terms:** Shopping replaces purpose, causing emptiness. Key Takeaway Seek meaning beyond material goods. Themes consumerism meaninglessness societal decay materialism Mood cynical critical somber Type social commentary philosophical When to use this quote - personal crisis - economic downturn - urban life - environmental activism Key Concepts existentialism critical theory psychology Questions to Reflect On - What does true fulfillment look like without consumption? - How can societies balance consumption with purpose? A Different Perspective Materialism cannot fulfill spiritual or emotional needs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Consumerism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumerism/) [Massacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/massacre/) [Shopaholic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shopaholic/) ## Related quotes > [The car, the furniture, the wife, the children - everything has to be disposable. Because you see the main thing today is - shopping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/the-car-the-furniture-the-wife-the-children-everything-has-to-be/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [In today's disposable culture, we throw away people like we do razors, always assuming there's someone better out there to hang out with, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-cutrone/in-today-s-disposable-culture-we-throw-away-people-like-we-do-razors/) [Kelly Cutrone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-cutrone/) > [When I had the idea for 'Shopaholic', it was as though a light switched on. I realised I actually wanted to write comedy. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-kinsella/when-i-had-the-idea-for-shopaholic-it-was-as-though-a-light-switched/) [Sophie Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-kinsella/) > [I am a shopaholic and Delhi is a Mecca for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/himani-shivpuri/i-am-a-shopaholic-and-delhi-is-a-mecca-for-me/) [Himani Shivpuri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/himani-shivpuri/) > [Every shopaholic needs an accomplice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ozzy-osbourne/every-shopaholic-needs-an-accomplice/) [Ozzy Osbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ozzy-osbourne/) > [They called me Shopaholic just because I help Shopkeepers Buying their stuff !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-ahmed/they-called-me-shopaholic-just-because-i-help-shopkeepers-buying/) [Ali Ahmed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-ahmed/) > [“Some things are private. I mean, we're grown-ups now. You don't share everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-kinsella/some-things-are-private-i-mean-we-re-grown-ups-now-you-don-t-share/) [Sophie Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-kinsella/) > [“What is it about shoes? I mean, I like most kind of clothes, but a fabulous pair of shoes can just reduce me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-kinsella/what-is-it-about-shoes-i-mean-i-like-most-kind-of-clothes-but-a/) [Sophie Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-kinsella/) > [When people would ask me what I’m addicted to, I always said ‘music.’ And while they’d laugh it off like it’s a cliché, I’m…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-lewis/when-people-would-ask-me-what-i-m-addicted-to-i-always-said-music-and/) [Blake Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-lewis/) > [“Sense yearnings sap your inner peace; they are like openings in a reservoir that permit vital waters to be wasted in the desert soil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/sense-yearnings-sap-your-inner-peace-they-are-like-openings-in-a/) [Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/) > [My real name is Madeleine Wickham, under which I write dramas with an edge of humour. As Sophie Kinsella it's fast, all-out comedies, such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-kinsella/my-real-name-is-madeleine-wickham-under-which-i-write-dramas-with-an/) [Sophie Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-kinsella/) > [“The other person always has a point, Listen to each other, and you'll hear it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-kinsella/the-other-person-always-has-a-point-listen-to-each-other-and-you-ll/) [Sophie Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-kinsella/) > [When women are depressed, they eat or go shopping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elayne-boosler/when-women-are-depressed-they-eat-or-go-shopping/) [Elayne Boosler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elayne-boosler/) > [Visiting any shop for the first time is exciting. There's always that buzz as you push open the door; that hope; that belief -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-kinsella/visiting-any-shop-for-the-first-time-is-exciting-there-s-always-that/) [Sophie Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-kinsella/) > [“Buy calmly and with meaning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-kinsella/buy-calmly-and-with-meaning/) [Sophie Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-kinsella/) ## More by Arthur Miller > [If a person measures his spiritual fulfillment in terms of cosmic visions, surpassing peace of mind, or ecstasy, then he is not likely to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/if-a-person-measures-his-spiritual-fulfillment-in-terms-of-cosmic/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [“If you can fall in love again and again, if you can forgive your parents for the crime of bringing you into the world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/if-you-can-fall-in-love-again-and-again-if-you-can-forgive-your/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [The wedding of Christianity or Judaism with nationalism is lethal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/the-wedding-of-christianity-or-judaism-with-nationalism-is-lethal/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [“I know what's wrong with me - I could never stand still for death! Which you've got to do by a certain age, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/i-know-what-s-wrong-with-me-i-could-never-stand-still-for-death-which/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [You cannot catch a child's spirit by running after it; you must stand still and for love it will soon itself return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/you-cannot-catch-a-child-s-spirit-by-running-after-it-you-must-stand/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [ “(Looking at the letter in his hand) Then what is this if it isn’t telling me? Sure, \[Larry\] was my son. But I think… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/looking-at-the-letter-in-his-hand-then-what-is-this-if-it-isn-t/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [The two greatest plays ever written were Hamlet and Oedipus Rex, and they're both about father-son relationships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/the-two-greatest-plays-ever-written-were-hamlet-and-oedipus-rex-and/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [A character is defined by the kinds of challenges he cannot walk away from. And by those he has walked away from that cause…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/a-character-is-defined-by-the-kinds-of-challenges-he-cannot-walk-away/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [Everybody likes a kidder, but nobody lends him money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/everybody-likes-a-kidder-but-nobody-lends-him-money/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [The American Dream is the largely unacknowledged screen in front of which all American writing plays itself out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/the-american-dream-is-the-largely-unacknowledged-screen-in-front-of/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [“When it is recalled that until the Christian era the underworld was never regardded as a hostile area, that all gods were useful and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/when-it-is-recalled-that-until-the-christian-era-the-underworld-was/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [“Elizabeth, with great fear: I will fear nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/elizabeth-with-great-fear-i-will-fear-nothing/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [I know you're no worse than most men but I thought you were better. I never saw you as a man. I saw you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/i-know-you-re-no-worse-than-most-men-but-i-thought-you-were-better-i/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [The best of our theater is standing on tiptoe, striving to see over the shoulders of father and mother. The worst is exploiting and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/the-best-of-our-theater-is-standing-on-tiptoe-striving-to-see-over/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [“I only ask you one thing- don't trust nobody”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/i-only-ask-you-one-thing-don-t-trust-nobody/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) [Explore all 322 Arthur Miller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) ## More Consumerism quotes > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [if we center our lives on BMWs, RVs, VCRs, PCs and the other acronyms of consumerism, we cannot expect our children to do otherwise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnetta-b-cole/if-we-center-our-lives-on-bmws-rvs-vcrs-pcs-and-the-other-acronyms-of/) [Johnnetta B. Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnetta-b-cole/) > [“Salesmanship is usually the art of making it the prospect’s problem, the salesperson’s need or desire to earn money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/salesmanship-is-usually-the-art-of-making-it-the-prospect-s-problem/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [A lot of times, my work is looked at very much on the surface. It's very easy to just want to put something in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-koons/a-lot-of-times-my-work-is-looked-at-very-much-on-the-surface-it-s/) [Jeff Koons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-koons/) > [I think that consumerism is intrinsically a pretty flawed social system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-elkington/i-think-that-consumerism-is-intrinsically-a-pretty-flawed-social/) [John Elkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-elkington/) > [America always put forth this phony melting pot theory, but it's a reality now. They couldn't accomplish the melting pot economically; they couldn't accomplish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-means/america-always-put-forth-this-phony-melting-pot-theory-but-it-s-a/) [Russell Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-means/) > [“Fifty years ago, people went without clothes in order to eat. Today, people gladly go without food in order to buy clothes. And they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-dumontais/fifty-years-ago-people-went-without-clothes-in-order-to-eat-today/) Sinclair Dumontais > [Consumer wants can have bizarre, frivolous, or even immoral origins, and an admirable case can still be made for a society that seeks to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/consumer-wants-can-have-bizarre-frivolous-or-even-immoral-origins-and/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [“In my view, dissatisfaction is implicit in the fabric of consumerism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-bruno/in-my-view-dissatisfaction-is-implicit-in-the-fabric-of-consumerism/) [Dave Bruno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-bruno/) > [Just when you thought multi-nationals and crazed consumerism were too big to fight, along comes Naomi Klein with facts, spirit, and news of successful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/just-when-you-thought-multi-nationals-and-crazed-consumerism-were-too/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [“Logograms pose a more difficult question. An increasing number of persons and institutions, from archy and mehitabel to PostScript and TrueType, come to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bringhurst/logograms-pose-a-more-difficult-question-an-increasing-number-of/) [Robert Bringhurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bringhurst/) > [One of the problems with industrialism is that it's based on the premise of more and more. It has to keep expanding to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dora-russell/one-of-the-problems-with-industrialism-is-that-it-s-based-on-the/) [Dora Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dora-russell/) > [Never buy what you do not want, because it is cheap; it will be dear to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/never-buy-what-you-do-not-want-because-it-is-cheap-it-will-be-dear-to/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The pharma pricing system was not built on the idea of consumer engagement. It was built... on market efficiencies. It was not built on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-bresch/the-pharma-pricing-system-was-not-built-on-the-idea-of-consumer/) [Heather Bresch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-bresch/) > [“We consumer and become exactly what we create. In all times.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lidia-yuknavitch/we-consumer-and-become-exactly-what-we-create-in-all-times/) [Lidia Yuknavitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lidia-yuknavitch/) [Browse all 628 Consumerism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumerism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“...What is the key word today? Disposable. The more you can throw it away the more it’s beautiful. The car, the furniture, the wife, the children—everything has to be disposable. Because you see the main thing today is—shopping. 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