Business Quote by Gore Vidal
“Commercialism is doing well that which should not be done at all.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The New York Review of Books, 1970
Commercialism promotes activities that are unnecessary or harmful, disguising profit motives as virtue.
In simple terms: Commercialism pushes harmful actions as good.
Key Takeaway
Scrutinize profit-driven motives.
Themes
consumerism
ethics
commercialism
Mood
skeptical
analytical
Type
critical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- advertising
- product launches
- environmental exploitation
Key Concepts
capitalism
moral philosophy
Questions to Reflect On
- How does commercialism affect personal values?
- Can profit and ethics coexist?
A Different Perspective
Commercial success can conflict with societal well‑being.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)