--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have a market-driven society so…" description: "\"We have a market-driven society so obsessed with buying and selling and obsessed with power and pleasure and property.\" — Cornel West" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fc/cornel-west-708_buying_we-have-a-market-driven-society-so-obses_2582348.jpg" --- # We have a market-driven society so obsessed with buying… ![“We have a market-driven society so obsessed with buying and selling and obsessed with power and pleasure and property.” quote by Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fc/cornel-west-708_buying_we-have-a-market-driven-society-so-obses_2582348.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fc/cornel-west-708_buying_we-have-a-market-driven-society-so-obses_2582348.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fc/cornel-west-708_buying_we-have-a-market-driven-society-so-obses_2582348.jpg) > “We have a market-driven society so obsessed with buying and selling and obsessed with power and pleasure and property.” [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Society is consumed by market values, prioritizing acquisition, power, pleasure, and property over deeper meaning **In simple terms:** Market obsession eclipses deeper values Key Takeaway Question materialism’s grip on life Themes materialism culture ethics Mood critical provocative Type philosophical social When to use this quote - advertising - political policy - personal finance - education reforms Key Concepts consumerism philosophy social critique Questions to Reflect On - What alternatives to consumerism can fulfill human needs? - How does power shape our desires? A Different Perspective Critique may overlook benefits of market efficiency ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Buying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buying/) [Commerce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commerce/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Driven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/driven/) [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Property](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/property/) [Selling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selling/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) ## Related quotes > [We have a market-driven society so obsessed with buying and selling and obsessed with power and pleasure and property, it doesn't leave a whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/we-have-a-market-driven-society-so-obsessed-with-buying-and-selling/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [Some people don't get it, but I think there's something fascinating about a character who's obsessed with power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-ackie/some-people-don-t-get-it-but-i-think-there-s-something-fascinating/) [Naomi Ackie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-ackie/) > [Students need to learn how to unlearn those elements of a market driven society that deform their sense of agency, reducing them to simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/students-need-to-learn-how-to-unlearn-those-elements-of-a-market/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [“Society is obsessed with women's bodies and I take my body back by doing whatever it is that I want to do with my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malebo-sephodi/society-is-obsessed-with-women-s-bodies-and-i-take-my-body-back-by/) [Malebo Sephodi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malebo-sephodi/) > [“It was one thing to read about a society obsessed with female purity—quite another to find yourself living in one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-croy-barker/it-was-one-thing-to-read-about-a-society-obsessed-with-female-purity/) Emily Croy Barker > [We live in a society obsessed with public opinion. But leadership has never been about popularity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/we-live-in-a-society-obsessed-with-public-opinion-but-leadership-has/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Our society is obsessed with personal rights, but it will survive only if we adopt personal obligations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/our-society-is-obsessed-with-personal-rights-but-it-will-survive-only/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [In our society, to be obsessed with a vision about how to make a better automobile makes you a genius, but to be obsessed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodger-kamenetz/in-our-society-to-be-obsessed-with-a-vision-about-how-to-make-a/) [Rodger Kamenetz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodger-kamenetz/) > [“Not only has there never before been a society so obsessed with the cultural artifacts of its immediate past, but there has never before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-reynolds/not-only-has-there-never-before-been-a-society-so-obsessed-with-the/) [Simon Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-reynolds/) > [Commerce diminishes the spirit, both of patriotism and military defence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/commerce-diminishes-the-spirit-both-of-patriotism-and-military-defence/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [ Rather than comparing \[war\] to art we could more accurately compare it to commerce, which is also a conflict of human interests and activities;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/rather-than-comparing-war-to-art-we-could-more-accurately-compare-it/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [Honor commerce as the engine of change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mcdonough/honor-commerce-as-the-engine-of-change/) [William McDonough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mcdonough/) > [If I were in this business only for the business, I wouldn't be in this business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/if-i-were-in-this-business-only-for-the-business-i-wouldn-t-be-in/) [Samuel Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn/) > [“Designing posters, for me, is not only a commercial pursuit but also a philosophical endeavor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fang-chen/designing-posters-for-me-is-not-only-a-commercial-pursuit-but-also-a/) Fang Chen > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) ## More by Cornel West > [There has certainly been ugly, right-wing hatred targeting Barack Obama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/there-has-certainly-been-ugly-right-wing-hatred-targeting-barack-obama/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [What is accurately portrayed is the rich humanity not just of Martin Luther King but of the movement, which was a multiracial movement. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/what-is-accurately-portrayed-is-the-rich-humanity-not-just-of-martin/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [I feel as if I have been blessed to undergo a transformation from 'gangster' to 'redeemed sinner with gangster proclivities.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/i-feel-as-if-i-have-been-blessed-to-undergo-a-transformation-from/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [“Like King, we need to put on our cemetery clothes and be coffin-ready for the next great democratic battle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/like-king-we-need-to-put-on-our-cemetery-clothes-and-be-coffin-ready/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [ “You can't really move forward until you look back. \[From Remaking America panel discussion at George Washington University\]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/you-can-t-really-move-forward-until-you-look-back-from-remaking/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [When we think of globalization we are thinking in part of structures and institutions that have been developed over time and that have allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/when-we-think-of-globalization-we-are-thinking-in-part-of-structures/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [The challenge artists face today is whether to be an underground, unheard genius, or to dilute their art for the marketplace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/the-challenge-artists-face-today-is-whether-to-be-an-underground/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [The need of black conservatives to gain the respect of their white peers deeply shapes certain elements of their conservatism. In this regard, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/the-need-of-black-conservatives-to-gain-the-respect-of-their-white/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [For me, musicians are poets. Beethoven describes himself as a poet of tones, just like Coltrane's a poet of tempo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/for-me-musicians-are-poets-beethoven-describes-himself-as-a-poet-of/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [I don't draw any distinctions between forms of bigotry or forms of ideology that lose sight of the humanity of people. I can't stand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/i-don-t-draw-any-distinctions-between-forms-of-bigotry-or-forms-of/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [Barack Obama has domesticated the left in such a way that we feel as if we have no alternative but him...I refuse to accept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/barack-obama-has-domesticated-the-left-in-such-a-way-that-we-feel-as/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [Larry Summers, I think, he had a long history of arrogance and relative ignorance about poor people's culture and working people's culture and so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/larry-summers-i-think-he-had-a-long-history-of-arrogance-and-relative/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [The greatest gift you can give someone is the gift of inspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/the-greatest-gift-you-can-give-someone-is-the-gift-of-inspiration/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [You can see it in terms of the obsession on Wall Street with not just profits but greed, more profit, more profit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/you-can-see-it-in-terms-of-the-obsession-on-wall-street-with-not-just/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [Anybody who takes Martin Luther King seriously has got to go beyond the standard understanding of who he was, has to connect those dots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/anybody-who-takes-martin-luther-king-seriously-has-got-to-go-beyond/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) [Explore all 400 Cornel West quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) ## More Buying quotes > [To me, the beauty of a quilt or a dress lies within the stitches and the thought of the person who made them. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie/to-me-the-beauty-of-a-quilt-or-a-dress-lies-within-the-stitches-and/) [Natalie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie/) > [Look at music for what it's worth around the world and not just America. In other countries, people are still buying CDs and going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/look-at-music-for-what-it-s-worth-around-the-world-and-not-just/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [Corporations invest in sophisticated CRM, or Customer Relationship Management, programs to effectively oversee their relationship with their customers at every point during the buying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-ostrofsky/corporations-invest-in-sophisticated-crm-or-customer-relationship/) [Marc Ostrofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-ostrofsky/) > [I'm being called in by all the great casting directors. It's no longer based on a headshot. I realize now what they're buying is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-gonzalez/i-m-being-called-in-by-all-the-great-casting-directors-it-s-no-longer/) [Nicholas Gonzalez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-gonzalez/) > [Whether you are buying a car or casting a ballot, choosing a job or planning a family, follow your moral compass. Don't let others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hayes/whether-you-are-buying-a-car-or-casting-a-ballot-choosing-a-job-or/) [Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/) > [A hardback's harder at Christmas time because that's a good hardback buying time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/a-hardback-s-harder-at-christmas-time-because-that-s-a-good-hardback/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Truth is, people like buying things for $0.99 and $1.99 for their digital devices. We know that from iTunes. We know that from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lee/truth-is-people-like-buying-things-for-0-99-and-1-99-for-their/) [Jennifer Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lee/) > [There's a whole generation of women who never really heard the word investment before, when it came to fashion. They've been buying things because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kors/there-s-a-whole-generation-of-women-who-never-really-heard-the-word/) [Michael Kors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kors/) > [I think buying a home is the best investment that any individual can make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paulson/i-think-buying-a-home-is-the-best-investment-that-any-individual-can/) [John Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paulson/) > [The more a prospective customer clicks on you and your stuff, the easier it is for them to make a buying decision in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gitomer/the-more-a-prospective-customer-clicks-on-you-and-your-stuff-the/) [Jeffrey Gitomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gitomer/) > [“If you have half a nothing - sell it for a double something, resell half at double-price, and buy another something and a half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-advise/if-you-have-half-a-nothing-sell-it-for-a-double-something-resell-half/) Will Advise > [Every kid looks forward to buying their first JanSport backpack for school - you know my kids did!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-buteau/every-kid-looks-forward-to-buying-their-first-jansport-backpack-for/) [Michelle Buteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-buteau/) > [What is the focus of the new image infrastructure? Attention. It's all designed for capturing, tracking, quantifying, manipulating, holding, buying, selling and controlling attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-mau/what-is-the-focus-of-the-new-image-infrastructure-attention-it-s-all/) [Bruce Mau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-mau/) > [It’s always going to be easy to live like others or other’s life, because creating or innovating something of own is always difficult in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anuj/it-s-always-going-to-be-easy-to-live-like-others-or-other-s-life/) [Anuj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anuj/) > [The truth is, if I was maybe better or funnier or prettier, wouldn't I have starred in a movie? I can see it objectively…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-greer/the-truth-is-if-i-was-maybe-better-or-funnier-or-prettier-wouldn-t-i/) [Judy Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-greer/) [Browse all 1,598 Buying quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buying/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We have a market-driven society so obsessed with buying and selling and obsessed with power and pleasure and property.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cornel West" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/we-have-a-market-driven-society-so-obsessed-with-buying-and-selling-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Buying" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/we-have-a-market-driven-society-so-obsessed-with-buying-and-selling-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fc/cornel-west-708_buying_we-have-a-market-driven-society-so-obses_2582348.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fc/cornel-west-708_buying_we-have-a-market-driven-society-so-obses_2582348.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fc/cornel-west-708_buying_we-have-a-market-driven-society-so-obses_2582348.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We have a market-driven society so obsessed with buying and selling and obsessed with power and pleasure and…” — Cornel West", "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": "Cornel West", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We have a market-driven society so...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/we-have-a-market-driven-society-so-obsessed-with-buying-and-selling-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/we-have-a-market-driven-society-so-obsessed-with-buying-and-selling-2/#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 } } ] } ```