--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Within a capitalist consumer society, the…" description: "\"Within a capitalist consumer society, the cult of personality has the power to subsume ideas, to make the person, the personality into the product and ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/bell-hooks-464_capitalist_within-a-capitalist-consumer-society-the_2293428.jpg" --- # Within a capitalist consumer society, the cult of… ![“Within a capitalist consumer society, the cult of personality has the power to subsume ideas, to make the person, the personality into the product and not the work itself.” quote by Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/bell-hooks-464_capitalist_within-a-capitalist-consumer-society-the_2293428.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/bell-hooks-464_capitalist_within-a-capitalist-consumer-society-the_2293428.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/bell-hooks-464_capitalist_within-a-capitalist-consumer-society-the_2293428.jpg) > “Within a capitalist consumer society, the cult of personality has the power to subsume ideas, to make the person, the personality into the product and not the work itself.” [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. In consumer societies, personalities can eclipse ideas, turning people into brands rather than focusing on their work. **In simple terms:** Personality can dominate, reducing ideas to products. Key Takeaway Focus on substance over image. Themes consumerism identity media influence Mood critical analytical Type sociological philosophical When to use this quote - advertising campaigns - social media presence - public speaking - product launches Key Concepts branding authenticity political economy Questions to Reflect On - How do you maintain authenticity in a brand-driven world? - What strategies keep ideas central? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on personality can dilute message. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Consumers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumers/) [Cult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cult/) [Cult of personality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cult-of-personality/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Personality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personality/) ## Related quotes > [The star system, the idol, the cult of personality is not the only way to be in entertainment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-manuel-de-homem-christo/the-star-system-the-idol-the-cult-of-personality-is-not-the-only-way/) [Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-manuel-de-homem-christo/) > [The Obama campaign seems dangerously close to becoming a cult of personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/the-obama-campaign-seems-dangerously-close-to-becoming-a-cult-of/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [As far as I'm concerned, the first business leader who was able to establish a cult of personality around his tenure was Lee Iacocca.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/as-far-as-i-m-concerned-the-first-business-leader-who-was-able-to/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [I think the cult of personality is the thing that people find a real problem with. It's hard to unify behind something that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-gutfeld/i-think-the-cult-of-personality-is-the-thing-that-people-find-a-real/) [Greg Gutfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-gutfeld/) > [It's really hard to maintain a band as a democracy. Again, I think there's been a shift. There's a lot of emphasis put on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-droste/it-s-really-hard-to-maintain-a-band-as-a-democracy-again-i-think/) [Ed Droste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-droste/) > [I discourage a cult of personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/i-discourage-a-cult-of-personality/) [Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/) > [By the way, if I have my own cult of personality with my own geodetic dome in western Massachusetts, I will have a hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/by-the-way-if-i-have-my-own-cult-of-personality-with-my-own-geodetic/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [Just a small-scale cult of personality, maybe raise a geodetic dome out in western Massachusetts and make people wear jumpsuits and give all their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/just-a-small-scale-cult-of-personality-maybe-raise-a-geodetic-dome/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [“Was it only that explosion of atavism which is now evasively called "the cult of personality" that was so horrible? Or was it even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-i-solzhenitsyn/was-it-only-that-explosion-of-atavism-which-is-now-evasively-called/) [Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-i-solzhenitsyn/) > [“Once in power, Stalin’s campaign to succeed Lenin required a legitimate heroic career which he did not possess because of his experience in what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sebag-montefiore/once-in-power-stalin-s-campaign-to-succeed-lenin-required-a/) [Simon Sebag Montefiore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sebag-montefiore/) > [“Every cult of personality that emphasizes the distinguished qualities, virtues, and talents of another person, even though these be of an altogether spiritual nature,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/every-cult-of-personality-that-emphasizes-the-distinguished-qualities/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [We are given to the cult of personality; when things go badly we look to some messiah to save us. If by chance we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/constantine-karamanlis/we-are-given-to-the-cult-of-personality-when-things-go-badly-we-look/) Constantine Karamanlis > [I look for strong people. I don't like people who'll say yes to everything I might bring up. I want people who can argue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-wintour/i-look-for-strong-people-i-don-t-like-people-who-ll-say-yes-to/) [Anna Wintour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-wintour/) > [Nobody's irreplaceable, including me. I think for too long we've had a cult of personality in this company and in this industry, and frankly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nobody-s-irreplaceable-including-me-i-think-for-too-long-we-ve-had-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The cult of Mao and the cult of Lei Feng were two faces of the same coin: one was the cult of personality; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jung-chang/the-cult-of-mao-and-the-cult-of-lei-feng-were-two-faces-of-the-same/) [Jung Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jung-chang/) ## More by Bell Hooks > [Right now, for many Americans, class is being foregrounded like never before because of the economic situation. It doesn't mean that race doesn't matter,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/right-now-for-many-americans-class-is-being-foregrounded-like-never/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [“Most folks believe we are hardwired biologically to long for sex but they do not believe we are hardwired to long for love. Almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/most-folks-believe-we-are-hardwired-biologically-to-long-for-sex-but/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [... we need to interrogate "reverence," for idolization can be another way one is objectified and not really taken seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/we-need-to-interrogate-reverence-for-idolization-can-be-another-way/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [Couples who rarely or never have sex can know lifelong love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/couples-who-rarely-or-never-have-sex-can-know-lifelong-love/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [The power of patriarchy has been to make maleness feared and to make men feel that it is better to be feared that to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/the-power-of-patriarchy-has-been-to-make-maleness-feared-and-to-make/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [“I feel enormously blessed to be a successful black woman writer in this culture, but I have found my small fame, such as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/i-feel-enormously-blessed-to-be-a-successful-black-woman-writer-in/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [Language is also a place of struggle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/language-is-also-a-place-of-struggle/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [In this culture, the phrase 'black woman' is not synonymous with 'tender,' or 'gentle.' It's as if those words couldn't possibly speak to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/in-this-culture-the-phrase-black-woman-is-not-synonymous-with-tender/) [bell hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [It's interesting to look at all the aspects where everyday Americans, many of whom are not college educated, are thinking deeply now about our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/it-s-interesting-to-look-at-all-the-aspects-where-everyday-americans/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [The true teacher is within us. A good teacher is someone who can help you to go back and touch the true teacher within,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/the-true-teacher-is-within-us-a-good-teacher-is-someone-who-can-help/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [“Advancing the notion that there can be many "feminisms" has served the conservative and liberal political interests of women seeking status and privileged class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/advancing-the-notion-that-there-can-be-many-feminisms-has-served-the/) [bell hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [I love my family, even as I critique their dysfunctionalities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/i-love-my-family-even-as-i-critique-their-dysfunctionalities/) [bell hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [You must have courage to love, you have to have a profound will to do what is right to love, and it does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/you-must-have-courage-to-love-you-have-to-have-a-profound-will-to-do/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [To truly love we must learn to mix various ingredients - care, affection, recognition, respect, commitment, and trust, as well as honest and open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/to-truly-love-we-must-learn-to-mix-various-ingredients-care-affection/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [“Often emphasis on identity and lifestyle is appealing because it creates a false sense that one is engaged in praxis. However, praxis within any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/often-emphasis-on-identity-and-lifestyle-is-appealing-because-it/) [bell hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) [Explore all 541 Bell Hooks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) ## More Capitalist quotes > [The popular mind often pictures gigantic flying machines speeding across the Atlantic carrying innumerable passengers in a way analogous to our modern steam ships.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-henry-pickering/the-popular-mind-often-pictures-gigantic-flying-machines-speeding/) William Henry Pickering > [As the variable capital always stays in the hands of the capitalist in some form or other, it cannot be claimed in any way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/as-the-variable-capital-always-stays-in-the-hands-of-the-capitalist/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [Capitalists have done more good for society through their charitable giving, philanthropy and generosity than all their critics combined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/capitalists-have-done-more-good-for-society-through-their-charitable/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [It is more than a little ironic that "capital accumulation" once a rather tendentious Marxian view of a supposed capitalist obsession, should have become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kuttner/it-is-more-than-a-little-ironic-that-capital-accumulation-once-a/) [Robert Kuttner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kuttner/) > [When I was young, I worked for a capitalist twelve hours a day and I was always tired. Now I work for myself twenty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikita-khrushchev/when-i-was-young-i-worked-for-a-capitalist-twelve-hours-a-day-and-i/) [Nikita Khrushchev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikita-khrushchev/) > [“Capitalist cycle of profit. The rancher sells a cow for profit. The butcher sells cuts for profit. The restaurant sells meals for profit. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/capitalist-cycle-of-profit-the-rancher-sells-a-cow-for-profit-the/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [For me, it is clear that we are currently in a period of structural crisis of capitalism going back to the 1970s, but deepening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bellamy-foster/for-me-it-is-clear-that-we-are-currently-in-a-period-of-structural/) [John Bellamy Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bellamy-foster/) > [As someone from the working class I was always interested in Russia and China and everything that related to the working class, even though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/as-someone-from-the-working-class-i-was-always-interested-in-russia/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [Will capitalist economies operate at full employment in the absence of routine intervention? Certainly not. Are deviations from full employment a social problem? Obviously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-yellen/will-capitalist-economies-operate-at-full-employment-in-the-absence/) [Janet Yellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-yellen/) > [Capitalism has created a situation called scarcity. And that scarcity is not natural, it's socially induced. Along with that sense of scarcity, or feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-bookchin/capitalism-has-created-a-situation-called-scarcity-and-that-scarcity/) [Murray Bookchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-bookchin/) > [... what we should be looking for is fresh ideas of how we make moral decisions about our dealings with one another, economic, social,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davis-mccaughey/what-we-should-be-looking-for-is-fresh-ideas-of-how-we-make-moral/) Davis McCaughey > [When you come from a family of communists and you go through your teenage rebellion, what's the best way of rebelling from a family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-browder/when-you-come-from-a-family-of-communists-and-you-go-through-your/) [Bill Browder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-browder/) > [The Enron scandal calls into question the integrity of the entire capitalist system, which previously we assumed was based on honest, straightforward greed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-achenbach/the-enron-scandal-calls-into-question-the-integrity-of-the-entire/) [Joel Achenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-achenbach/) > [Human beings were behaving as human beings and not as cogs in the capitalist machine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/human-beings-were-behaving-as-human-beings-and-not-as-cogs-in-the/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [Beautiful women must think about their beauty as capitalists think about their investments or politicians about their majorities; it is all they have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/beautiful-women-must-think-about-their-beauty-as-capitalists-think/) [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) Browse all 968 Capitalist quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Within a capitalist consumer society, the cult of personality has the power to subsume ideas, to make the person, the personality into the product and not the work itself.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bell Hooks" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/within-a-capitalist-consumer-society-the-cult-of-personality-has-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Capitalist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/within-a-capitalist-consumer-society-the-cult-of-personality-has-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/bell-hooks-464_capitalist_within-a-capitalist-consumer-society-the_2293428.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/bell-hooks-464_capitalist_within-a-capitalist-consumer-society-the_2293428.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/bell-hooks-464_capitalist_within-a-capitalist-consumer-society-the_2293428.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Within a capitalist consumer society, the cult of personality has the power to subsume ideas, to make the…” — Bell Hooks", "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": "Bell Hooks", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Within a capitalist consumer society, the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/within-a-capitalist-consumer-society-the-cult-of-personality-has-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/within-a-capitalist-consumer-society-the-cult-of-personality-has-the/#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 } } ] } ```