Corporations Quote by David Foster Wallace
““Corporations are getting better and better at seducing us into thinking the way they think—of profits as the telos and responsibility as something to be enshrined in symbol and evaded in reality. Cleverness as opposed to wisdom. Wanting and having instead of thinking and making. We cannot stop it. I suspect what’ll happen is that there will be some sort of disaster—depression, hyperinflation—and then it’ll be showtime: We’ll either wake up and retake our freedom or we’ll fall apart utterly. Like Rome—conqueror of its own people.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: Infinite Jest, 1996
Corporate culture reshapes values, prioritizing profit over genuine responsibility, leading to societal crises and potential awakening.
In simple terms: Companies push profit over real duty, causing future crises.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and resist profit‑driven narratives.
Themes
capitalism
ethics
societal collapse
awakening
Mood
critical
urgent
reflective
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- workplace decisions
- political activism
- personal finance
- mental health
- community building
Key Concepts
consumerism
moral philosophy
systemic risk
Questions to Reflect On
- How can individuals counter profit‑centric messaging?
- What safeguards prevent societal collapse?
A Different Perspective
Economic pressures can also empower individual agency and reform.
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