--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Modern man is drinking and drugging…" description: "\"Modern man is drinking and drugging himself out of awareness, or he spends his time shopping, which is the same thing.\" — Ernest Becker" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adc/ernest-becker-7036_awareness_modern-man-is-drinking-and-drugging-hims_512749.jpg" --- # Modern man is drinking and drugging himself out of… ![“Modern man is drinking and drugging himself out of awareness, or he spends his time shopping, which is the same thing.” quote by Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adc/ernest-becker-7036_awareness_modern-man-is-drinking-and-drugging-hims_512749.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adc/ernest-becker-7036_awareness_modern-man-is-drinking-and-drugging-hims_512749.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adc/ernest-becker-7036_awareness_modern-man-is-drinking-and-drugging-hims_512749.jpg) > “Modern man is drinking and drugging himself out of awareness, or he spends his time shopping, which is the same thing.” [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He critiques modern society's escapism through substance use and consumerism, suggesting both numb awareness. **In simple terms:** People escape reality with drugs or shopping. Key Takeaway Beware of distractions that hide self‑knowledge. Themes society escapism consumerism Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical social commentary When to use this quote - self‑help workshops - cultural analysis - psychology seminars Key Concepts existential psychology modern culture addiction materialism Questions to Reflect On - What healthier ways can people seek meaning? - How does consumer culture affect self‑awareness? A Different Perspective Escapism can also provide temporary relief or community. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Awareness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awareness/) [Consumerism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumerism/) [Drinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drinking/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Modern man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-man/) [Overconsumption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overconsumption/) [Shopping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shopping/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wine/) ## Related quotes > [There's a difference between the world ending tomorrow and just drinking and drugging yourself to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abel-ferrara/there-s-a-difference-between-the-world-ending-tomorrow-and-just/) [Abel Ferrara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abel-ferrara/) > [“Stopping drinking and drugging didn't suddenly solve my problems - not even close - but it did clear a little spot on the filthy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-p-smith/stopping-drinking-and-drugging-didn-t-suddenly-solve-my-problems-not/) Gregory P. Smith > [When a man who is drinking neat gin starts talking about his mother he is past all argument.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-a-man-who-is-drinking-neat-gin-starts-talking-about-his-mother/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I see that a man cannot give himself up to drinking without being miserable one half his days and mad the other; besides, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/i-see-that-a-man-cannot-give-himself-up-to-drinking-without-being/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [I see that a man cannot give himself up to drinking without being miserable one half his days and mad the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/i-see-that-a-man-cannot-give-himself-up-to-drinking-without-being-2/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [Man today is fascinated by the possibility of buying, more, better, and especially, new things. He is consumption hungry... To buy the latest gadget,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/man-today-is-fascinated-by-the-possibility-of-buying-more-better-and/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [Modern man is alienated from himself, from his fellow men, and from nature. He has been transformed into a commodity, experiences his life forces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/modern-man-is-alienated-from-himself-from-his-fellow-men-and-from/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [What do you want to do with me?" she asked. You had an unpleasant tumble." He nodded toward the unfamiliar creatures. "My Ganmede friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-beddor/what-do-you-want-to-do-with-me-she-asked-you-had-an-unpleasant-tumble/) [Frank Beddor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-beddor/) > [People go for help, but their lives don't get better because of those psychiatric drugs. They get worse. They feel numb and they're told…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-cruise/people-go-for-help-but-their-lives-don-t-get-better-because-of-those/) [Tom Cruise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-cruise/) > [“society's been drugging its women for years”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-strout/society-s-been-drugging-its-women-for-years/) [Elizabeth Strout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-strout/) > [“And, by the way, thank you for drugging me with Ketamine in Nigeria. He now thinks I’m a recreational drug user.” “You’re . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-reid/and-by-the-way-thank-you-for-drugging-me-with-ketamine-in-nigeria-he/) [Penny Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-reid/) > [Drugging out symptoms does not solve the problem, it helps us ignore it - until the vehicle breaks down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-h-lipton/drugging-out-symptoms-does-not-solve-the-problem-it-helps-us-ignore/) [Bruce H. Lipton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-h-lipton/) > [If you drugged me with truth serum and said I can only do one thing, I would probably have to say that I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-hall/if-you-drugged-me-with-truth-serum-and-said-i-can-only-do-one-thing-i/) [Brad Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-hall/) > [“Perhaps it’s because she spends all her time sleeping—she comes and goes just as she pleases in the world of her dreams, she’s free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banana-yoshimoto/perhaps-it-s-because-she-spends-all-her-time-sleeping-she-comes-and/) [Banana Yoshimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banana-yoshimoto/) > [“Never trust a man who spends too much time on his hair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bridie-clark/never-trust-a-man-who-spends-too-much-time-on-his-hair/) [Bridie Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bridie-clark/) ## More by Ernest Becker > [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [“the characteristics the modern mind prides itself on are precisely those of madness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/the-characteristics-the-modern-mind-prides-itself-on-are-precisely/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [“When we are young we are often puzzled by the fact that each person we admire seems to have a different version of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/when-we-are-young-we-are-often-puzzled-by-the-fact-that-each-person/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [Relationship is thus always slavery of a kind, which leaves a residue of guilt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/relationship-is-thus-always-slavery-of-a-kind-which-leaves-a-residue/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [“neurosis as a problem of character and have seen that it can be approached in two ways: as a problem of too much narrowness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/neurosis-as-a-problem-of-character-and-have-seen-that-it-can-be/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [When we understand that man is the only animal who must create meaning, who must open a wedge into neutral nature, we already understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/when-we-understand-that-man-is-the-only-animal-who-must-create/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [What is the ideal for mental health, then? 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In this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/civilized-society-is-a-hopeful-belief-and-protest-that-science-money/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [We might say that psychoanalysis revealed to us the complex penalties of denying the truth of man's condition, what we might call the costs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/we-might-say-that-psychoanalysis-revealed-to-us-the-complex-penalties/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [“Understanding this, Rank could take a great step beyond Freud. Freud thought that modern man’s moral dependence on another was a result of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/understanding-this-rank-could-take-a-great-step-beyond-freud-freud/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [“The world of human aspiration is largely fictitious and if we do not understand this we understand nothing about man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/the-world-of-human-aspiration-is-largely-fictitious-and-if-we-do-not/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [“If the partner becomes God he can just as easily become the Devil; the reason is not far to seek. For one thing, one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/if-the-partner-becomes-god-he-can-just-as-easily-become-the-devil-the/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [“every human being is… equally unfree, that is, we… create out of freedom, a prison….”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/every-human-being-is-equally-unfree-that-is-we-create-out-of-freedom/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [“The point is that if the love object is divine perfection, then one’s own self is elevated by joining one’s destiny to it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/the-point-is-that-if-the-love-object-is-divine-perfection-then-one-s/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) [Explore all 95 Ernest Becker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) ## More Awareness quotes > [An enlightened awareness is within each one of us, right at this moment. 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