--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It means that, while our branded world…" description: "\"“It means that, while our branded world can exploit the unmet need to be part of something larger than ourselves, it can’t fill it in any sustained way..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/824/naomi-klein-1072_big-idea_it-means-that-while-our-branded-world-ca_2174144.jpg" --- # It means that, while our branded world can exploit the… ![“It means that, while our branded world can exploit the unmet need to be part of something larger than ourselves, it can’t fill it in any sustained way: you make a purchase to be part of a tribe, a big idea, a revolution, and it feels good for a moment, but the satisfaction wears off almost before…” quote by Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/824/naomi-klein-1072_big-idea_it-means-that-while-our-branded-world-ca_2174144.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/824/naomi-klein-1072_big-idea_it-means-that-while-our-branded-world-ca_2174144.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/824/naomi-klein-1072_big-idea_it-means-that-while-our-branded-world-ca_2174144.jpg) > ““It means that, while our branded world can exploit the unmet need to be part of something larger than ourselves, it can’t fill it in any sustained way: you make a purchase to be part of a tribe, a big idea, a revolution, and it feels good for a moment, but the satisfaction wears off almost before you’ve thrown out the packaging for that new pair of sneakers, that latest model iPhone, or whatever the surrogate is. Then you have to find a way to fill the void again. It’s the perfect formula for endless consumption and perpetual self-commodification through social media, and it’s a disaster for the planet, which cannot sustain these levels of consumption.”” [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Brands promise belonging, but the joy is fleeting, leading to repeated purchases and environmental harm. **In simple terms:** Brands give temporary belonging, causing endless buying and waste. Key Takeaway Seek lasting purpose beyond material goods. Themes consumerism environment identity social media tribalism Mood concerned critical reflective Type analytical critical philosophical When to use this quote - advertising - fashion purchases - gadgets - social media trends - environmental activism Key Concepts psychology sustainability marketing culture self-commodification Questions to Reflect On - How can individuals find lasting community without consumerism? - What responsibilities do brands have to reduce waste? A Different Perspective Sustainable satisfaction requires deeper connections, not just products. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-idea/) [Branded World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/branded-world-4668101/) [Consumerism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumerism/) [Consumption Perpetual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumption-perpetual-4668098/) [Endless Consumption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/endless-consumption-4668097/) [Fill the void](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fill-the-void/) [Marketing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marketing/) [Means Branded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/means-branded-4668099/) [Self Commodification](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-commodification-4668100/) [Social media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-media/) ## Related quotes > [“I had nothing to feel guilty about. I had no one to answer to. I could look back upon my short life with Scott…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vee-hoffman/i-had-nothing-to-feel-guilty-about-i-had-no-one-to-answer-to-i-could/) [Vee Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vee-hoffman/) > [“Even when we can pinpoint “something good” that came out of a tragedy, it never balances out what we have lost. How could anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-custis-james/even-when-we-can-pinpoint-something-good-that-came-out-of-a-tragedy/) [Carolyn Custis James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-custis-james/) > [“Hate doesn’t fill the void where love used to be,” she said. “It doesn’t fit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-antoinette/hate-doesn-t-fill-the-void-where-love-used-to-be-she-said-it-doesn-t/) [Ashley Antoinette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-antoinette/) > [“The case is very plain before me. In leaving England, I should leave a loved but empty land — Mr. Rochester is not there;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/the-case-is-very-plain-before-me-in-leaving-england-i-should-leave-a/) [Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [“As it happens I am comfortable with the Michael Laskis of this world, with those who live outside rather than in, those in whom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/as-it-happens-i-am-comfortable-with-the-michael-laskis-of-this-world/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [“When people are left without any goals, they need time to reorder their priorities and fill the void their obsession has left in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-garc-a-s-enz/when-people-are-left-without-any-goals-they-need-time-to-reorder/) [Eva García Sáenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-garc-a-s-enz/) > [“You wonder about that sometimes, you wonder what happens when you die in your sleep. Do you carry on dreaming, does the moment of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-leather/you-wonder-about-that-sometimes-you-wonder-what-happens-when-you-die/) [Stephen Leather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-leather/) > [“Once we face our fear, once we treat our anxiety itself as a thing, we can then choose otherwise. Instead of filling the unknown…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-jones/once-we-face-our-fear-once-we-treat-our-anxiety-itself-as-a-thing-we/) [David W. Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-jones/) > [“I tried to fill the void with vocabulary.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olga-grjasnowa/i-tried-to-fill-the-void-with-vocabulary/) [Olga Grjasnowa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olga-grjasnowa/) > [“Desire is an attempt to fill the void”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamza-yusuf/desire-is-an-attempt-to-fill-the-void/) [Hamza Yusuf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamza-yusuf/) > [If you do not speak to your teens about the meaning of human sexuality and love, the world will fill the void of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-evert/if-you-do-not-speak-to-your-teens-about-the-meaning-of-human/) [Jason Evert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-evert/) > [“Tears started to cloud my vision, and a single stream fell down my face. Wiping my cheek, I straightened my back and looked into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-abel/tears-started-to-cloud-my-vision-and-a-single-stream-fell-down-my/) [E.M. Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-abel/) > [Without the truth of the people, politics degenerates into mere spectacle and democracy declines, leaving demagoguery and cynicism to fill the void.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-brown/without-the-truth-of-the-people-politics-degenerates-into-mere/) [Jerry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-brown/) > [We're all weirdly single, middle-aged women with too much money who look to fill the void with too much shopping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cameron-mitchell/we-re-all-weirdly-single-middle-aged-women-with-too-much-money-who/) [John Cameron Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cameron-mitchell/) > [“When we don’t pay close attention to the decisions made by our leaders, when we fail to educate ourselves about the major issues of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/obama/when-we-don-t-pay-close-attention-to-the-decisions-made-by-our/) [Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/obama/) ## More by Naomi Klein > [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/public-infrastructure-around-the-world-is-facing-unprecedented-stress/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [But we need to be very clear: because of our decades of collective denial, no gradual, incremental options are now available to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/but-we-need-to-be-very-clear-because-of-our-decades-of-collective/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [As I explored Trump's inextricable relationship with his commercial brand, and its implications for the future of politics, I began to see why so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/as-i-explored-trump-s-inextricable-relationship-with-his-commercial/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [It doesn't have the ability to think rationally this economic model. It thinks like a drug addict: 'Where can I get my next fix?'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/it-doesn-t-have-the-ability-to-think-rationally-this-economic-model/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [Fury is an entirely appropriate response to a system that sends young people to kill other young people in a war that never should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/fury-is-an-entirely-appropriate-response-to-a-system-that-sends-young/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [Since the 1980s, we've been living in this era, really, of corporate rule, based on this idea that the role of government is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/since-the-1980s-we-ve-been-living-in-this-era-really-of-corporate/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [We live in a society that is powered by fossil fuels, but for the meantime, we're in it. Maybe there's, like, five people living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/we-live-in-a-society-that-is-powered-by-fossil-fuels-but-for-the/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [I can tell you Donald Trump's products may not be made in America, but Donald Trump was made in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/i-can-tell-you-donald-trump-s-products-may-not-be-made-in-america-but/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [Africa is poor because its investors and its creditors are unspeakably rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/africa-is-poor-because-its-investors-and-its-creditors-are/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [“It is a civilizational wake-up call. A powerful message—spoken in the language of fires, floods, droughts, and extinctions—telling us that we need an entirely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/it-is-a-civilizational-wake-up-call-a-powerful-message-spoken-in-the/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [“You have been negotiating all my life.” So said Canadian college student Anjali Appadurai, as she stared down the assembled government negotiators at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/you-have-been-negotiating-all-my-life-so-said-canadian-college/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [There's a property in Panama where Trump has collected somewhere around $30 million just from selling his name to this property - it's somewhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/there-s-a-property-in-panama-where-trump-has-collected-somewhere/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [When I went to Australia, I had this feeling, like, 'Wow, this is really a different country.' I think that feeling of genuine foreignness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/when-i-went-to-australia-i-had-this-feeling-like-wow-this-is-really-a/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [I think there has been this really bad habit of environmentalists being insufferably smug, where they are sort of saying, 'This is the issue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/i-think-there-has-been-this-really-bad-habit-of-environmentalists/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [GLHR... has used Greenpeace-style media antics to draw more public attention to the plight of sweatshop workers than the multimillion - dollar international trade…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/glhr-has-used-greenpeace-style-media-antics-to-draw-more-public/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) [Explore all 291 Naomi Klein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) ## More Big idea quotes > [I am not going to make promises I can't keep. I am not going to talk about big ideas like single-payer and then not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-am-not-going-to-make-promises-i-can-t-keep-i-am-not-going-to-talk/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I really like Kickstarter because you don't have to be a Medici to fund the arts and sciences or to get behind a big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gansky/i-really-like-kickstarter-because-you-don-t-have-to-be-a-medici-to/) [Lisa Gansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gansky/) > [Believe in something larger than yourself... get involved in the big ideas of your time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-bush/believe-in-something-larger-than-yourself-get-involved-in-the-big/) [Barbara Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-bush/) > [“You want the story of my life? Big ideas, small results.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-stanwyck/you-want-the-story-of-my-life-big-ideas-small-results/) [Barbara Stanwyck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-stanwyck/) > [It takes a big idea to attract the attention of consumers and get them to buy your product. Unless your advertising contains a big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/it-takes-a-big-idea-to-attract-the-attention-of-consumers-and-get/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [The only big ideas I've ever had came from daydreaming, but modern life keeps people from daydreaming. Every moment of the day your mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-maccready/the-only-big-ideas-i-ve-ever-had-came-from-daydreaming-but-modern/) [Paul MacCready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-maccready/) > [You will never win fame and fortune unless you invent big ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/you-will-never-win-fame-and-fortune-unless-you-invent-big-ideas/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [People laugh at me because I use big words. But if you have big ideas, you have to use big words to express them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-laugh-at-me-because-i-use-big-words-but-if-you-have-big-ideas/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All the big ideas for getting us onto a lower carbon trajectory involve a lot of people doing a lot of work, and that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/all-the-big-ideas-for-getting-us-onto-a-lower-carbon-trajectory/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [I've never been shy about big ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-x-suarez/i-ve-never-been-shy-about-big-ideas/) [Francis X. Suarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-x-suarez/) > [“The path to success involves two parts. Part One is all about imagination and dreaming up a big idea. Part Two is all about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-clark/the-path-to-success-involves-two-parts-part-one-is-all-about/) [Clay Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-clark/) > [You never know when some small thing will lead to a big idea. Travel is very inspirational - but it's in the ordinary that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-trigiani/you-never-know-when-some-small-thing-will-lead-to-a-big-idea-travel/) [Adriana Trigiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-trigiani/) > [The job of the leader is to get the big ideas right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-petraeus/the-job-of-the-leader-is-to-get-the-big-ideas-right/) [David Petraeus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-petraeus/) > [“There is a current perception is that science has overtaken Philosophy and in effect rendered Philosophy irrelevant. Science, when sufficiently abstracted, approaches Philosophy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-golway/there-is-a-current-perception-is-that-science-has-overtaken/) [Tom Golway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-golway/) > [I always tell people that revelling in big ideas for me is kind of like an antidote to existential angst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-silva/i-always-tell-people-that-revelling-in-big-ideas-for-me-is-kind-of/) [Jason Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-silva/) [Browse all 254 Big idea quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-idea/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It means that, while our branded world can exploit the unmet need to be part of something larger than ourselves, it can’t fill it in any sustained way: you make a purchase to be part of a tribe, a big idea, a revolution, and it feels good for a moment, but the satisfaction wears off almost before you’ve thrown out the packaging for that new pair of sneakers, that latest model iPhone, or whatever the surrogate is. Then you have to find a way to fill the void again. It’s the perfect formula for endless consumption and perpetual self-commodification through social media, and it’s a disaster for the planet, which cannot sustain these levels of consumption.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Naomi Klein" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/it-means-that-while-our-branded-world-can-exploit-the-unmet-need-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Big idea" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/it-means-that-while-our-branded-world-can-exploit-the-unmet-need-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/824/naomi-klein-1072_big-idea_it-means-that-while-our-branded-world-ca_2174144.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/824/naomi-klein-1072_big-idea_it-means-that-while-our-branded-world-ca_2174144.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/824/naomi-klein-1072_big-idea_it-means-that-while-our-branded-world-ca_2174144.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It means that, while our branded world can exploit the unmet need to be part of something larger than…” — Naomi Klein", "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": "Naomi Klein", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It means that, while our branded...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/it-means-that-while-our-branded-world-can-exploit-the-unmet-need-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/it-means-that-while-our-branded-world-can-exploit-the-unmet-need-to/#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 } } ] } ```