--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As individuals express their life, so…" description: "\"As individuals express their life, so they are. What they are, therefore, coincides with their production, both with what they produce and with how the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f1/karl-marx-399_conditions_as-individuals-express-their-life-so-the_372143.jpg" --- # As individuals express their life, so they are. What they… ![“As individuals express their life, so they are. What they are, therefore, coincides with their production, both with what they produce and with how they produce. The nature of individuals thus depends on the material conditions determining their production.” quote by Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f1/karl-marx-399_conditions_as-individuals-express-their-life-so-the_372143.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f1/karl-marx-399_conditions_as-individuals-express-their-life-so-the_372143.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f1/karl-marx-399_conditions_as-individuals-express-their-life-so-the_372143.jpg) > “As individuals express their life, so they are. What they are, therefore, coincides with their production, both with what they produce and with how they produce. The nature of individuals thus depends on the material conditions determining their production.” [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Individuals embody their material conditions; their identity aligns with what they produce and how they produce it. **In simple terms:** People reflect their economic circumstances. Key Takeaway Recognize how material conditions shape identity. Themes materialism identity production social conditions Mood analytical critical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - workplace dynamics - social policy - personal development - economic planning Key Concepts dialectical materialism economic determinism Questions to Reflect On - How do your daily tasks reflect your values? - Can you change your material conditions? A Different Perspective Ignores agency and cultural influences beyond material conditions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) ## Related quotes > [“As individuals express their life, so they are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/as-individuals-express-their-life-so-they-are/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [In general, the more one augments the number of divisions of the productions of nature, the more one approaches the truth, since in nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-louis-leclerc-comte-de-buffon/in-general-the-more-one-augments-the-number-of-divisions-of-the/) [Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-louis-leclerc-comte-de-buffon/) > [Evolution happens in nature and in individuals. I want to participate actively in its happening within me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-moran/evolution-happens-in-nature-and-in-individuals-i-want-to-participate/) [Victoria Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-moran/) > [As a society we cannot seem to make peace with nature. As individuals, it's hard for us to be at peace with ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/as-a-society-we-cannot-seem-to-make-peace-with-nature-as-individuals/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Nature made us individuals, as she did the flowers and the pebbles; but we are afraid to be peculiar, and so our society resembles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-m-child/nature-made-us-individuals-as-she-did-the-flowers-and-the-pebbles-but/) [Lydia M. Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-m-child/) > [As soon as we get out of our urban shell, we're still at the mercy of nature as individuals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-kent/as-soon-as-we-get-out-of-our-urban-shell-we-re-still-at-the-mercy-of/) [Julia Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-kent/) > [As, in religion, man is governed by the products of his own brain, so in capitalistic production, he is governed by the products of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/as-in-religion-man-is-governed-by-the-products-of-his-own-brain-so-in/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [Free education for all children in public schools... 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These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [You sort of can't talk about the post production unless you talk about what comes first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-greengrass/you-sort-of-can-t-talk-about-the-post-production-unless-you-talk/) [Paul Greengrass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-greengrass/) ## More by Karl Marx > [“Economists have a singular method of procedure. There are only two kinds of institutions for them, artificial and natural. The institutions of feudalism are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/economists-have-a-singular-method-of-procedure-there-are-only-two/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [As the variable capital always stays in the hands of the capitalist in some form or other, it cannot be claimed in any way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/as-the-variable-capital-always-stays-in-the-hands-of-the-capitalist/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [Money degrades all the gods of man and converts them into commodities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/money-degrades-all-the-gods-of-man-and-converts-them-into-commodities/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [As a beast of toil an ox is fixed capital. If he is eaten, he no longer functions as an instrument of labour, nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/as-a-beast-of-toil-an-ox-is-fixed-capital-if-he-is-eaten-he-no-longer/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [Communism... is the genuine resolution of the antagonism between man and nature and between man and man; it is the true resolution of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/communism-is-the-genuine-resolution-of-the-antagonism-between-man-and/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [It is not the consciousness of men that determines their being, but, on the contrary, their social being that determines their consciousness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/it-is-not-the-consciousness-of-men-that-determines-their-being-but-on/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [Philosophy is to the real world as masturbation is to sex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/philosophy-is-to-the-real-world-as-masturbation-is-to-sex/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [“Go on, get out! Last words are for fools who haven't said enough!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/go-on-get-out-last-words-are-for-fools-who-haven-t-said-enough/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [“If you love without evoking love in return - if through the vital expression of yourself as a loving person you fail to become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/if-you-love-without-evoking-love-in-return-if-through-the-vital/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [Do not be deluded by the abstract word Freedom. Whose freedom? 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It knows and it teaches that it is impossible to find two events that are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-bloch/history-is-in-its-essentials-the-science-of-change-it-knows-and-it/) [Marc Bloch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-bloch/) > [The average condition of the people improving or deteriorating, depends upon whether population is advancing faster than improvement, or improvement than population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-average-condition-of-the-people-improving-or-deteriorating/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [A good aim surveys the present state of experience of pupils, and forming a tentative plan of treatment, keeps the plan constantly in view…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/a-good-aim-surveys-the-present-state-of-experience-of-pupils-and/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [The God in whose hands are all our days and ways, did cast into my hand one day a book of Martin Luthers; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/the-god-in-whose-hands-are-all-our-days-and-ways-did-cast-into-my/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [It clearly follows that to make men moral it is necessary to make their social environment moral. And that can be done in only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-bakunin/it-clearly-follows-that-to-make-men-moral-it-is-necessary-to-make/) [Mikhail Bakunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-bakunin/) > [Importunity is a condition of prayer. We are to press the matter, not with vain repetitions, but with urgent repetitions. We repeat, not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/importunity-is-a-condition-of-prayer-we-are-to-press-the-matter-not/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) > [The so-called evils are evils only in relation to a certain thing, and that which is evil in relation to a certain existing thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maimonides/the-so-called-evils-are-evils-only-in-relation-to-a-certain-thing-and/) [Maimonides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maimonides/) > [Experiences in order to be educative must lead out into an expanding world of subject matter, a subject matter of facts or information and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/experiences-in-order-to-be-educative-must-lead-out-into-an-expanding/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [A social group can, indeed must, already exercise 'leadership' before winning governmental power (this is indeed one of the principal conditions for the winning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-gramsci/a-social-group-can-indeed-must-already-exercise-leadership-before/) [Antonio Gramsci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-gramsci/) > [I'm a Christian because Christianity names and addresses sin. 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