--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Probably the worst thing that has…" description: "\"“Probably the worst thing that has happened to our understanding of reality has been the acceptance of ourselves as consumers.”\" — Madeleine L'Engle" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/madeleine-l-engle-345_consumerism_probably-the-worst-thing-that-has-happen_1846644.png" --- # Probably the worst thing that has happened to our… ![“Probably the worst thing that has happened to our understanding of reality has been the acceptance of ourselves as consumers.” quote by Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/madeleine-l-engle-345_consumerism_probably-the-worst-thing-that-has-happen_1846644.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/madeleine-l-engle-345_consumerism_probably-the-worst-thing-that-has-happen_1846644.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/madeleine-l-engle-345_consumerism_probably-the-worst-thing-that-has-happen_1846644.png) > ““Probably the worst thing that has happened to our understanding of reality has been the acceptance of ourselves as consumers.”” [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Accepting ourselves merely as consumers limits our grasp of deeper truths and interconnectedness. **In simple terms:** Viewing ourselves only as buyers narrows perception. Key Takeaway Broaden identity beyond consumption. Themes consumerism perception reality Mood reflective critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - educational curricula - community building Key Concepts philosophy psychology environmentalism Questions to Reflect On - How does consumer identity shape your worldview? - What alternatives to consumption can you envision? A Different Perspective Overlooks economic motivations that drive societal structures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acceptance Consumers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance-consumers-2394640/) [Consumerism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumerism/) [Consumers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumers/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Reality Acceptance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality-acceptance-224874/) [Understanding Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding-reality-611835/) [Worst thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst-thing/) ## Related quotes > [The first step is simply to accept the change as a reality. Acceptance is the opposite of rejection or resistance. 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Boorstin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-boorstin/) > [Consumers have not been told effectively enough that they have huge power and that purchasing and shopping involve a moral choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/consumers-have-not-been-told-effectively-enough-that-they-have-huge/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [Economists use the word consume to mean "utilize economic goods," but the Shorter Oxford Dictionary's definition is more appropriate to ecologists: "To make away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-thein-durning/economists-use-the-word-consume-to-mean-utilize-economic-goods-but/) [Alan Thein Durning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-thein-durning/) > [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/) > [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/) > [Give the public the 'image' of what it thinks it ought to be, or what television commercials or glossy magazine ads have convinced us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/give-the-public-the-image-of-what-it-thinks-it-ought-to-be-or-what/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) ## More by Madeleine L'Engle > [“One of the hardest lessons I have to learn is how not to be judgmental about people who are judgmental. When I see how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/one-of-the-hardest-lessons-i-have-to-learn-is-how-not-to-be/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [Inspiration more often comes during the work than before it, because the largest part of the job of an artist is to listen to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/inspiration-more-often-comes-during-the-work-than-before-it-because/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/you-have-to-write-the-book-that-wants-to-be-written-and-if-the-book/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [Severe illness isolates those in close contact with it, because it inevitably narrows the focus of concern. 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He's the oxygen in my air, the sun in my universe,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/i-feel-as-though-i-m-not-breathing-when-i-m-out-of-his-presence-he-s/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [Rather than feeling lost and unimportant and meaningless, set against galaxies which go beyond the reach of the furthest telescopes, I feel that my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/rather-than-feeling-lost-and-unimportant-and-meaningless-set-against/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [My husband is my most ruthless critic... sometimes he will say, 'It's been said better before.' Of course it has. It's all been said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/my-husband-is-my-most-ruthless-critic-sometimes-he-will-say-it-s-been/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [If we aren't capable of being hurt we aren't capable of feeling joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/if-we-aren-t-capable-of-being-hurt-we-aren-t-capable-of-feeling-joy/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) [Explore all 660 Madeleine L'Engle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) ## More Consumerism quotes > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. 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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. 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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": "“Probably the worst thing that has happened to our understanding of reality has been the acceptance of ourselves as consumers.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Madeleine L'Engle" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/probably-the-worst-thing-that-has-happened-to-our-understanding-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Consumerism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/probably-the-worst-thing-that-has-happened-to-our-understanding-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/madeleine-l-engle-345_consumerism_probably-the-worst-thing-that-has-happen_1846644.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/madeleine-l-engle-345_consumerism_probably-the-worst-thing-that-has-happen_1846644.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/madeleine-l-engle-345_consumerism_probably-the-worst-thing-that-has-happen_1846644.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Probably the worst thing that has happened to our understanding of reality has been the acceptance of…” — Madeleine L'Engle", "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": "Madeleine L'Engle", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Probably the worst thing that has...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/probably-the-worst-thing-that-has-happened-to-our-understanding-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/probably-the-worst-thing-that-has-happened-to-our-understanding-of/#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 } } ] } ```