---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People need things. I don't live a monk's…"
description: "\"People need things. I don't live a monk's existence, I'm a consumer, but I try to do it to the level that doesn't feel like there's an overabundance of..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/433/jamie-lee-curtis-3771_consumers_people-need-things-i-don-t-live-a-monk-s_1005766.jpg"
---

#  People need things. I don't live a monk's existence, I'm a…

![“People need things. I don't live a monk's existence, I'm a consumer, but I try to do it to the level that doesn't feel like there's an overabundance of something.” quote by Jamie Lee Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/433/jamie-lee-curtis-3771_consumers_people-need-things-i-don-t-live-a-monk-s_1005766.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/433/jamie-lee-curtis-3771_consumers_people-need-things-i-don-t-live-a-monk-s_1005766.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/433/jamie-lee-curtis-3771_consumers_people-need-things-i-don-t-live-a-monk-s_1005766.jpg)

> “People need things. I don't live a monk's existence, I'm a consumer, but I try to do it to the level that doesn't feel like there's an overabundance of something.”

[Jamie Lee Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-curtis/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

She acknowledges personal consumption but aims for moderation to avoid excess.

**In simple terms:** She wants to consume without overindulging.

Key Takeaway

Practice mindful consumption.

Themes

moderation consumerism balance

Mood

reflective thoughtful

Type

personal philosophical

When to use this quote

- daily shopping
- gift giving
- budget planning
- environmental impact

Key Concepts

mindful living minimalism

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you decide what is enough?
- What triggers overconsumption?

A Different Perspective

Balancing desire with restraint can be socially challenging.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Consumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumer/) [Consumers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumers/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Monk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monk/) [Overabundance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overabundance/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/)

## Related quotes

> [I'm not a consumer. I hate buying clothes. I don't have a mobile. I just don't need things. I don't like things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/i-m-not-a-consumer-i-hate-buying-clothes-i-don-t-have-a-mobile-i-just/)

[Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/)

> [Contrary to popular stereotypes, seeking simplicity doesn't require that you become a monk, a subsistence forager, or a wild-eyed revolutionary. Nor does it mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rolf-potts/contrary-to-popular-stereotypes-seeking-simplicity-doesn-t-require/)

[Rolf Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rolf-potts/)

> [I still like weird music but there's such an overabundance that it's hard for me to stay enthusiastic about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/girl-talk/i-still-like-weird-music-but-there-s-such-an-overabundance-that-it-s/)

[Girl Talk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/girl-talk/)

> [Intellect without humanity is not good enough...what the world is suffering from at the present time is not so much an overabundance of intellect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-montagu/intellect-without-humanity-is-not-good-enough-what-the-world-is/)

[Ashley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-montagu/)

> [Modernity means overabundance. We are living in the age of mass-produced objects, things that come without announcing themselves and end up on our tables,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/modernity-means-overabundance-we-are-living-in-the-age-of-mass/)

[Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/)

> [If there is an ‘overabundance' of an idea in the absence of direct governmental action -- which there well might be when compared with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-kagan/if-there-is-an-overabundance-of-an-idea-in-the-absence-of-direct/)

[Elena Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-kagan/)

> [I love the Internet, but it's hard not to get lost in it. It's not like a book where you start and get to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarvis-cocker/i-love-the-internet-but-it-s-hard-not-to-get-lost-in-it-it-s-not-like/)

[Jarvis Cocker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarvis-cocker/)

> [Photojournalism has become a hybrid enterprise of amateurs and professionals, along with surveillance cameras, Google Street Views, and other sources. What is underrepresented are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-ritchin/photojournalism-has-become-a-hybrid-enterprise-of-amateurs-and/)

[Fred Ritchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-ritchin/)

> [I was told I had an overabundance of original sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sarandon/i-was-told-i-had-an-overabundance-of-original-sin/)

[Susan Sarandon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sarandon/)

> [“Force, in overabundance, is the enemy of artistry.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-verducci/force-in-overabundance-is-the-enemy-of-artistry/)

[Tom Verducci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-verducci/)

> [What the poor need is not charity but capital, not caseworkers but coworkers. And what the rich need is a wise, honorable and just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-jordan/what-the-poor-need-is-not-charity-but-capital-not-caseworkers-but/)

[Clarence Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-jordan/)

> [Of course, they (i. e., demons) had always been observed with some regularity, but that could usually be ascribed to an overabundance of piety…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/of-course-they-i-e-demons-had-always-been-observed-with-some/)

[Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/)

> [“Life is not notable for its overabundance of certainty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/life-is-not-notable-for-its-overabundance-of-certainty/)

[Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/)

> [I'm learning when it comes to sense, there's certainly not an overabundance of those willing to make it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-cervantes/i-m-learning-when-it-comes-to-sense-there-s-certainly-not-an/)

[Andrew Cervantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-cervantes/)

> [This is a nice metaphor, too, about mothers and daughters - that when it came time for me to make my own, I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/this-is-a-nice-metaphor-too-about-mothers-and-daughters-that-when-it/)

[Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/)

## More by Jamie Lee Curtis

> [I have to be careful to get out before I become the grotesque caricature of a hatchet-faced woman with big knockers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-curtis/i-have-to-be-careful-to-get-out-before-i-become-the-grotesque/)

[Jamie Lee Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-curtis/)

> [I'm uninterested in superheroes. I am only interested in real stories, real people, real connection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-curtis/i-m-uninterested-in-superheroes-i-am-only-interested-in-real-stories/)

[Jamie Lee Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-curtis/)

> [If you just watch a teenager, you see a lot of uncertainty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-curtis/if-you-just-watch-a-teenager-you-see-a-lot-of-uncertainty/)

[Jamie Lee Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-curtis/)

> [It's not that I'm retired; I just no longer accept acting work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-curtis/it-s-not-that-i-m-retired-i-just-no-longer-accept-acting-work/)

[Jamie Lee Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-curtis/)

> [Because I know I'm an addict, and I know I'm an alcoholic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-curtis/because-i-know-i-m-an-addict-and-i-know-i-m-an-alcoholic/)

[Jamie Lee Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-curtis/)

> [I guess I want very much to be recognized for my abilities, for the work I put in, and yet it's still always there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-curtis/i-guess-i-want-very-much-to-be-recognized-for-my-abilities-for-the/)

[Jamie Lee Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-curtis/)

> [You can't live a truthful life without regret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-curtis/you-can-t-live-a-truthful-life-without-regret/)

[Jamie Lee Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-curtis/)

> [Exchange the words 'have to' with 'get to.' Exchange the word 'can't' with 'unwilling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-curtis/exchange-the-words-have-to-with-get-to-exchange-the-word-can-t-with/)

[Jamie Lee Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-curtis/)

> [The parameters are such that I don't get offered a lot of work. I'm sure most directors hear my list of don'ts and say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-curtis/the-parameters-are-such-that-i-don-t-get-offered-a-lot-of-work-i-m/)

[Jamie Lee Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-curtis/)

> [It's very hard, when you're a famous person, to "de-famous" your home, but tokens of my fame just felt like a burden for my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-curtis/it-s-very-hard-when-you-re-a-famous-person-to-de-famous-your-home-but/)

[Jamie Lee Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-curtis/)

> [My mother was the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. There are moments when I remember her beauty, unadorned, unposed, not in some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-curtis/my-mother-was-the-most-beautiful-woman-i-have-ever-seen-there-are/)

[Jamie Lee Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-curtis/)

> [Now all of a sudden I'm so less interested in pretending to be a lot of other people, and much more interested in being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-curtis/now-all-of-a-sudden-i-m-so-less-interested-in-pretending-to-be-a-lot/)

[Jamie Lee Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-curtis/)

> [The only two questions that need to be asked each day are: Did I live wisely? Did I love well?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-curtis/the-only-two-questions-that-need-to-be-asked-each-day-are-did-i-live/)

[Jamie Lee Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-curtis/)

> [When I know something I like, I just want to replicate it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-curtis/when-i-know-something-i-like-i-just-want-to-replicate-it/)

[Jamie Lee Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-curtis/)

> [To make new friends you have be willing to put in the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-curtis/to-make-new-friends-you-have-be-willing-to-put-in-the-time/)

[Jamie Lee Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-curtis/)

[Explore all 122 Jamie Lee Curtis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-curtis/)

## More Consumer quotes

> [One of the Internet's highest-profile companies, Priceline once dreamed of transforming the way consumer goods are bought and sold by offering customers the chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-berenson/one-of-the-internet-s-highest-profile-companies-priceline-once/)

[Alex Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-berenson/)

> [At age 28, I had no retail experience, no consumer marketing experience and no real Internet experience. But I decided I wanted to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-naficy/at-age-28-i-had-no-retail-experience-no-consumer-marketing-experience/)

[Mariam Naficy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-naficy/)

> [Women now influence the majority of consumer purchases. It is women's votes that will secure victory at the next election, hence the altogether delicious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-pearson/women-now-influence-the-majority-of-consumer-purchases-it-is-women-s/)

[Allison Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-pearson/)

> [A brand is no longer what we tell the consumer it is it is what consumers tell each other it is. - Scott Cook,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-cook/a-brand-is-no-longer-what-we-tell-the-consumer-it-is-it-is-what/)

[Scott Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-cook/)

> [All of my work is meant to evoke a whole bunch of different layers of discord between the attraction and repulsion that we feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-jordan/all-of-my-work-is-meant-to-evoke-a-whole-bunch-of-different-layers-of/)

[Chris Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-jordan/)

> [“For their never-ending endeavours to obtain or retain wealth, countries desperately need companies, because they—unlike most human beings—have the means of production, and human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/for-their-never-ending-endeavours-to-obtain-or-retain-wealth/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [When I put on my consumer hat, and I'm buying tickets to be entertained, I'm not interested in seeing, like, 'Don Quixote.' Unless someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-peck/when-i-put-on-my-consumer-hat-and-i-m-buying-tickets-to-be/)

[Justin Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-peck/)

> [The pharma pricing system was not built on the idea of consumer engagement. It was built... on market efficiencies. It was not built on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-bresch/the-pharma-pricing-system-was-not-built-on-the-idea-of-consumer/)

[Heather Bresch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-bresch/)

> [“We consumer and become exactly what we create. In all times.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lidia-yuknavitch/we-consumer-and-become-exactly-what-we-create-in-all-times/)

[Lidia Yuknavitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lidia-yuknavitch/)

> [The broken consumer credit market had to be repaired by making sure that consumers had the right information and could use it effectively. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/the-broken-consumer-credit-market-had-to-be-repaired-by-making-sure/)

[Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/)

> [I'm caught up probably just as much in the consumer culture as the next person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/i-m-caught-up-probably-just-as-much-in-the-consumer-culture-as-the/)

[Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/)

> [Computing shows up in many different ways. You have computing that you wear, computing that you carry. What you think of as the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dell/computing-shows-up-in-many-different-ways-you-have-computing-that-you/)

[Michael Dell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dell/)

> [The problem is that the global arms trade is entirely free of international regulation. In a world in which the flow of consumer goods…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-benn/the-problem-is-that-the-global-arms-trade-is-entirely-free-of/)

[Hilary Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-benn/)

> [With every decisions we make, the last question we ask is what does the consumer think of this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niall-fitzgerald/with-every-decisions-we-make-the-last-question-we-ask-is-what-does/)

Niall FitzGerald

> [The Dabo people are consumer marketing geniuses. This is exactly why we acquired them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-edelman/the-dabo-people-are-consumer-marketing-geniuses-this-is-exactly-why/)

[Richard Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-edelman/)

[Browse all 475 Consumer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumer/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "People need things. I don't live a monk's existence, I'm a consumer, but I try to do it to the level that doesn't feel like there's an overabundance of something.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jamie Lee Curtis"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-curtis/people-need-things-i-don-t-live-a-monk-s-existence-i-m-a-consumer-but/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Consumer"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-curtis/people-need-things-i-don-t-live-a-monk-s-existence-i-m-a-consumer-but/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/433/jamie-lee-curtis-3771_consumers_people-need-things-i-don-t-live-a-monk-s_1005766.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/433/jamie-lee-curtis-3771_consumers_people-need-things-i-don-t-live-a-monk-s_1005766.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/433/jamie-lee-curtis-3771_consumers_people-need-things-i-don-t-live-a-monk-s_1005766.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“People need things. I don't live a monk's existence, I'm a consumer, but I try to do it to the level that…” — Jamie Lee Curtis",
                "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": "Jamie Lee Curtis",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-curtis/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "People need things. I don't live...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-curtis/people-need-things-i-don-t-live-a-monk-s-existence-i-m-a-consumer-but/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-curtis/people-need-things-i-don-t-live-a-monk-s-existence-i-m-a-consumer-but/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
