--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To live fully, we must learn to use…" description: "\"“To live fully, we must learn to use things and love people, and not love things and use people.”\" — John Powell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60a/john-powell-12850_consumerism_to-live-fully-we-must-learn-to-use-thing_2466727.png" --- # To live fully, we must learn to use things and love… ![“To live fully, we must learn to use things and love people, and not love things and use people.” quote by John Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60a/john-powell-12850_consumerism_to-live-fully-we-must-learn-to-use-thing_2466727.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60a/john-powell-12850_consumerism_to-live-fully-we-must-learn-to-use-thing_2466727.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60a/john-powell-12850_consumerism_to-live-fully-we-must-learn-to-use-thing_2466727.png) > ““To live fully, we must learn to use things and love people, and not love things and use people.”” [John Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-powell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. To truly live, we must use things, love people, not love things or use people. **In simple terms:** Use things, love people, avoid exploitation. Key Takeaway Prioritize relationships over materialism. Themes ethics relationships materialism purpose Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - Volunteer work - minimalist lifestyle - ethical purchasing Key Concepts Philosophy humanism consumer culture Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate using vs. exploiting? - What habits reduce material attachment? A Different Perspective Balancing use of tools with respect for people is challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Consumerism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumerism/) [Friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends/) [Live Fully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-fully/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-people/) [Things Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-love/) [Use People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use-people/) [Use Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use-things-315744/) ## Related quotes > [“We use people and love things, when we should love people and use things”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-chavis/we-use-people-and-love-things-when-we-should-love-people-and-use/) [Ben Chavis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-chavis/) > [We’re to love people and use things, not love things and use people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-rogers/we-re-to-love-people-and-use-things-not-love-things-and-use-people/) [Adrian Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-rogers/) > [You must remember to love people and use things, rather than to love things and use people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/you-must-remember-to-love-people-and-use-things-rather-than-to-love/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [Love people and use things. Don't love things and use people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-people-and-use-things-don-t-love-things-and-use-people/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We are all born to love people and use things. Unfortunately, we grow to love things and use people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-rafael-cimino/we-are-all-born-to-love-people-and-use-things-unfortunately-we-grow/) [T. Rafael Cimino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-rafael-cimino/) > [Love people, use things. Don't use people, don't love things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harshal/love-people-use-things-don-t-use-people-don-t-love-things/) [Harshal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harshal/) > [God give us people to love,.and things to use, not things to love and people to use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/god-give-us-people-to-love-and-things-to-use-not-things-to-love-and/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [GOD made people to love and things to use not things to love and people to use...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/god-made-people-to-love-and-things-to-use-not-things-to-love-and/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [God gives us people to love and things to use, not things to love and people to use.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-gives-us-people-to-love-and-things-to-use-not-things-to-love-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Wish you would learn to love people and use things and not the other way around](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/wish-you-would-learn-to-love-people-and-use-things-and-not-the-other/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [Love people, use things, not vice versa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-people-use-things-not-vice-versa/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Our world would be better if we all tried to accept others unconditionally. Remember, love people & use things; NOT love things & use people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nushra/our-world-would-be-better-if-we-all-tried-to-accept-others/) [Nushra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nushra/) > [Life is where you love people and use things not use people and love things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/life-is-where-you-love-people-and-use-things-not-use-people-and-love/) [Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/) > [“It's good to have things that you love. They keep you grounded, make you realise how much you've got to lose. It's good to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-koomson/it-s-good-to-have-things-that-you-love-they-keep-you-grounded-make/) [Dorothy Koomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-koomson/) > [Don't mess with me I know how to use these things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/destiny/don-t-mess-with-me-i-know-how-to-use-these-things/) [Destiny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/destiny/) ## More by John Powell > [Playing is much, much harder than composing in my opinion, becoming a player. If you want to be a player for all your life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-powell/playing-is-much-much-harder-than-composing-in-my-opinion-becoming-a/) [John Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-powell/) > [“The trouble with ancient history is that, as far as I can tell, the vast majority of it took place a hell of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-powell/the-trouble-with-ancient-history-is-that-as-far-as-i-can-tell-the/) [John Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-powell/) > [There are only two potential tragedies in life, and dying young isn't one of them. These are the two real tragedies: If you go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-powell/there-are-only-two-potential-tragedies-in-life-and-dying-young-isn-t/) [John Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-powell/) > [God is to us like the sky to a small bird, which cannot see its outer limits and cannot reach its distant horizons, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-powell/god-is-to-us-like-the-sky-to-a-small-bird-which-cannot-see-its-outer/) [John Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-powell/) > [He who has no inclination to learn more will be very apt to think that he knows enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-powell/he-who-has-no-inclination-to-learn-more-will-be-very-apt-to-think/) [John Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-powell/) > [You just don't make decisions about what you're going to be like when you are old. I know that I am making that decision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-powell/you-just-don-t-make-decisions-about-what-you-re-going-to-be-like-when/) [John Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-powell/) > [A person can grow only as much as his horizon allows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-powell/a-person-can-grow-only-as-much-as-his-horizon-allows/) [John Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-powell/) > [“It’s a shameful indictment of the shabby way we live nowadays, but we have to face the fact that most of you won’t have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-powell/it-s-a-shameful-indictment-of-the-shabby-way-we-live-nowadays-but-we/) [John Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-powell/) > [Growth is always a gradual process, a bridge slowly crossed and not a corner sharply turned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-powell/growth-is-always-a-gradual-process-a-bridge-slowly-crossed-and-not-a/) [John Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-powell/) > [It is essential that our love be liberating, not possessive. We must at all times give those we love the freedom to be themselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-powell/it-is-essential-that-our-love-be-liberating-not-possessive-we-must-at/) [John Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-powell/) > [You can't reinvent yourself for every movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-powell/you-can-t-reinvent-yourself-for-every-movie/) [John Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-powell/) > [“But why should a flute make a sound which is smoother and less complex than that of a violin or oboe? To answer this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-powell/but-why-should-a-flute-make-a-sound-which-is-smoother-and-less/) [John Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-powell/) > [Our lives are shaped by those who love us](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-powell/our-lives-are-shaped-by-those-who-love-us/) [John Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-powell/) > [Attitudes are capable of making the same experience either pleasant or painful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-powell/attitudes-are-capable-of-making-the-same-experience-either-pleasant/) [John Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-powell/) > [The only love worthy of a name is unconditional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-powell/the-only-love-worthy-of-a-name-is-unconditional/) [John Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-powell/) [Explore all 53 John Powell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-powell/) ## More Consumerism quotes > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [if we center our lives on BMWs, RVs, VCRs, PCs and the other acronyms of consumerism, we cannot expect our children to do otherwise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnetta-b-cole/if-we-center-our-lives-on-bmws-rvs-vcrs-pcs-and-the-other-acronyms-of/) [Johnnetta B. Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnetta-b-cole/) > [“Salesmanship is usually the art of making it the prospect’s problem, the salesperson’s need or desire to earn money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/salesmanship-is-usually-the-art-of-making-it-the-prospect-s-problem/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [A lot of times, my work is looked at very much on the surface. It's very easy to just want to put something in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-koons/a-lot-of-times-my-work-is-looked-at-very-much-on-the-surface-it-s/) [Jeff Koons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-koons/) > [I think that consumerism is intrinsically a pretty flawed social system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-elkington/i-think-that-consumerism-is-intrinsically-a-pretty-flawed-social/) [John Elkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-elkington/) > [America always put forth this phony melting pot theory, but it's a reality now. They couldn't accomplish the melting pot economically; they couldn't accomplish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-means/america-always-put-forth-this-phony-melting-pot-theory-but-it-s-a/) [Russell Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-means/) > [“Fifty years ago, people went without clothes in order to eat. Today, people gladly go without food in order to buy clothes. And they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-dumontais/fifty-years-ago-people-went-without-clothes-in-order-to-eat-today/) [Sinclair Dumontais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-dumontais/) > [Consumer wants can have bizarre, frivolous, or even immoral origins, and an admirable case can still be made for a society that seeks to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/consumer-wants-can-have-bizarre-frivolous-or-even-immoral-origins-and/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [“In my view, dissatisfaction is implicit in the fabric of consumerism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-bruno/in-my-view-dissatisfaction-is-implicit-in-the-fabric-of-consumerism/) [Dave Bruno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-bruno/) > [Just when you thought multi-nationals and crazed consumerism were too big to fight, along comes Naomi Klein with facts, spirit, and news of successful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/just-when-you-thought-multi-nationals-and-crazed-consumerism-were-too/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [“Logograms pose a more difficult question. An increasing number of persons and institutions, from archy and mehitabel to PostScript and TrueType, come to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bringhurst/logograms-pose-a-more-difficult-question-an-increasing-number-of/) [Robert Bringhurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bringhurst/) > [One of the problems with industrialism is that it's based on the premise of more and more. It has to keep expanding to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dora-russell/one-of-the-problems-with-industrialism-is-that-it-s-based-on-the/) [Dora Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dora-russell/) > [Never buy what you do not want, because it is cheap; it will be dear to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/never-buy-what-you-do-not-want-because-it-is-cheap-it-will-be-dear-to/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [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/) [Browse all 628 Consumerism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumerism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“To live fully, we must learn to use things and love people, and not love things and use people.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Powell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-powell/to-live-fully-we-must-learn-to-use-things-and-love-people-and-not/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Consumerism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-powell/to-live-fully-we-must-learn-to-use-things-and-love-people-and-not/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60a/john-powell-12850_consumerism_to-live-fully-we-must-learn-to-use-thing_2466727.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60a/john-powell-12850_consumerism_to-live-fully-we-must-learn-to-use-thing_2466727.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60a/john-powell-12850_consumerism_to-live-fully-we-must-learn-to-use-thing_2466727.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To live fully, we must learn to use things and love people, and not love things and use people.” — John Powell", "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": "John Powell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-powell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“To live fully, we must learn...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-powell/to-live-fully-we-must-learn-to-use-things-and-love-people-and-not/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-powell/to-live-fully-we-must-learn-to-use-things-and-love-people-and-not/#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 } } ] } ```