Dependence Quote by Ivan Illich
““Housework, handicrafts, subsistence agriculture, radical technology, learning exchanges, and the like are degraded into activities for the idle, the unproductive, the very poor, or the very rich. A society that fosters intense dependence on commodities thus turns its unemployed into either its poor or its dependents.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Deschooling Society, Ivan Illich, 1971
Society that over‑relies on commodities devalues essential labor, creating dependency and poverty.
In simple terms: Relying on goods makes basic work seem worthless, leading to poverty or dependence.
Key Takeaway
Value essential work, reduce commodity dependence.
Themes
dependency
poverty
labor
commodities
social structure
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- policy making
- community development
- education reform
- personal lifestyle choices
Key Concepts
alienation
economic inequality
social critique
Questions to Reflect On
- How does consumer culture affect your view of work?
- What essential tasks are undervalued in your community?
A Different Perspective
Not all societies can easily shift away from commodity dependence without systemic change.
![“They [leaders in Western Europe] do not misuse financial instruments, financial injections, but, first of all, seek structural change. This is urgent for our economy as well, maybe even more urgent bearing in mind the problem that we cannot yet deal with, namely the prevalence of the oil and gas…” quote by Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fab/vladimir-putin-261_change_they-leaders-in-western-europe-do-not-mi_43180.jpg)
![“The heart becomes sick, as the body becomes sick, and its remedy is al-Tawbah (repentance) and protection [from transgression]. It becomes rusty as a mirror becomes rusty, and its clarity is obtained by remembrance. It becomes naked as the body becomes naked, and its beautification is al-Taqwa. It…” quote by Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/454/ibn-qayyim-al-jawziyya-10803_als_the-heart-becomes-sick-as-the-body-becom_66500.jpg)