--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Rather than empowering all, consumer and…" description: "\"Rather than empowering all, consumer and shareholder activism gives greatest voice to those with the most money in their pockets, those who can switch ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53b/noreena-hertz-8858_activism_rather-than-empowering-all-consumer-and_1790088.jpg" --- # Rather than empowering all, consumer and shareholder… ![“Rather than empowering all, consumer and shareholder activism gives greatest voice to those with the most money in their pockets, those who can switch from seller to seller with relative ease. Consumer and shareholder activism is a form of protest that favours the middle classes, an outpouring of…” quote by Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53b/noreena-hertz-8858_activism_rather-than-empowering-all-consumer-and_1790088.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53b/noreena-hertz-8858_activism_rather-than-empowering-all-consumer-and_1790088.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53b/noreena-hertz-8858_activism_rather-than-empowering-all-consumer-and_1790088.jpg) > “Rather than empowering all, consumer and shareholder activism gives greatest voice to those with the most money in their pockets, those who can switch from seller to seller with relative ease. Consumer and shareholder activism is a form of protest that favours the middle classes, an outpouring of the dissatisfaction of the bourgeoisie.” [Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Wealthier individuals dominate consumer and shareholder activism, marginalizing less affluent voices. **In simple terms:** Rich people have louder activism. Key Takeaway Amplify diverse stakeholder voices. Themes economic inequality activism power dynamics class consumer rights shareholder influence Mood critical concerned Type analytical political When to use this quote - Corporate governance meetings - community organizing - policy advocacy - campaign funding - grassroots movements Key Concepts Capitalism social justice political economy Questions to Reflect On - How can marginalized groups gain influence? - What reforms could balance power in activism? A Different Perspective Wealth concentration can limit democratic participation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Activism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/activism/) [Bourgeoisie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bourgeoisie/) [Consumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumer/) [Empowering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empowering/) [Favours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/favours/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Protest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protest/) [Seller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seller/) [Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voice/) ## Related quotes > [Shareholder activism works when activists understand something about the characteristics of the business that the board doesn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/shareholder-activism-works-when-activists-understand-something-about/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [Shareholder activism is not a privilege - it is a right and a responsibility. When we invest in a company, we own part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mobius/shareholder-activism-is-not-a-privilege-it-is-a-right-and-a/) [Mark Mobius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mobius/) > [“Don’t sell based on inventory. Inventory based on who you want to sell. A lot of people sell homes. They all have structure. Location,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richie-norton/don-t-sell-based-on-inventory-inventory-based-on-who-you-want-to-sell/) [Richie Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richie-norton/) > [Outside came in '60. The Edge in '61. All three made Gold, but the biggest seller was Inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelley-berman/outside-came-in-60-the-edge-in-61-all-three-made-gold-but-the-biggest/) [Shelley Berman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelley-berman/) > [We know what the birth of a revolution looks like: A student stands before a tank. A fruit seller sets himself on fire. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/we-know-what-the-birth-of-a-revolution-looks-like-a-student-stands/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [I think there's a difference between having a bestselling book - meaning through marketing, PR and buying that first wave of customers - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-think-there-s-a-difference-between-having-a-bestselling-book/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I had not expected 'A Brief History of Time' to be a best seller.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/i-had-not-expected-a-brief-history-of-time-to-be-a-best-seller/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [Facebook draws from the public and public-interest sphere, a simultaneously bold and modest step towards acknowledging that our new networked technologies deeply affect our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-zittrain/facebook-draws-from-the-public-and-public-interest-sphere-a/) [Jonathan Zittrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-zittrain/) > [Bigger spreads mean bigger gaps between what buyers pay and sellers receive. For example, a spread of 10 cents a share means that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-berenson/bigger-spreads-mean-bigger-gaps-between-what-buyers-pay-and-sellers/) [Alex Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-berenson/) > [Sometimes a seller has an emotional attachment to a property that's unrealistic when it translates into reasonable pricing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-serhant/sometimes-a-seller-has-an-emotional-attachment-to-a-property-that-s/) [Ryan Serhant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-serhant/) > [The buyer needs a hundred eyes, the seller not one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/the-buyer-needs-a-hundred-eyes-the-seller-not-one/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [“Being a writer is a gift, being an author is amazing, becoming a best seller is everyone's dream”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laquita-cameron/being-a-writer-is-a-gift-being-an-author-is-amazing-becoming-a-best/) LaQuita Cameron > [“Millions of business people are each constantly forced to choose between their desire to not be a bad person and their desire to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/millions-of-business-people-are-each-constantly-forced-to-choose/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [“Unfortunately, the worst part of a product/service is the seller.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alin-sav/unfortunately-the-worst-part-of-a-product-service-is-the-seller/) [Alin Sav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alin-sav/) > [In a recent decision of the Supreme Court, not made, however, by the full court, and concurred in by only four justices, it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bates-clark/in-a-recent-decision-of-the-supreme-court-not-made-however-by-the/) [John Bates Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bates-clark/) ## More by Noreena Hertz > [When Apple introduced its game-changing iPhone in 2007, Nokia was caught sleeping on the job. Although it had actually developed an iPhone-style device -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/when-apple-introduced-its-game-changing-iphone-in-2007-nokia-was/) [Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/) > [I've become increasingly fascinated with social media to improve on traditional ways of preparing for and predicting the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/i-ve-become-increasingly-fascinated-with-social-media-to-improve-on/) [Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/) > [I grew up in a highly political home. My mother was the co-chair of the 300 Group, an organisation whose aim was to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/i-grew-up-in-a-highly-political-home-my-mother-was-the-co-chair-of/) [Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/) > [What about those who help growth indirectly, those who stay at home and look after others - mothers, carers of elderly parents or sick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/what-about-those-who-help-growth-indirectly-those-who-stay-at-home/) [Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/) > [We are living in a time in which movies such as 'Super Size Me' and 'An Inconvenient Truth' have made box-office history, and books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/we-are-living-in-a-time-in-which-movies-such-as-super-size-me-and-an/) [Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/) > [We live increasingly in a world of haves and have-nots, of gated communities next to ghettos, of extreme poverty and unbelievable riches. Some enjoy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/we-live-increasingly-in-a-world-of-haves-and-have-nots-of-gated/) [Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/) > [With consumers having ever more choice, corporations must invest more and more in courting public opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/with-consumers-having-ever-more-choice-corporations-must-invest-more/) [Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/) > [I was really interested to see whether we could make predictions or forecasts by listening in on what people were saying on social media.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/i-was-really-interested-to-see-whether-we-could-make-predictions-or/) [Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/) > [Things do go wrong. Not everyone benefits from the capitalist dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/things-do-go-wrong-not-everyone-benefits-from-the-capitalist-dream/) [Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/) > [It's actually very surprising how little we think about the quality of our decision-making and how we could improve it. How absent decision-making classes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/it-s-actually-very-surprising-how-little-we-think-about-the-quality/) [Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/) > [Get into the habit of imagining an alternate scenario. By posing such 'imagine if' questions... we can distance ourselves from the frames, cues, anchors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/get-into-the-habit-of-imagining-an-alternate-scenario-by-posing-such/) [Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/) > [I really believe in a globalist agenda, but globalization isn't just allowing companies to trade freely all over the world. It's about what types…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/i-really-believe-in-a-globalist-agenda-but-globalization-isn-t-just/) [Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/) > [Surely in a world of email, video conferencing and virtual assistants, isn't being expected to show up at the office extremely anachronistic? Yet to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/surely-in-a-world-of-email-video-conferencing-and-virtual-assistants/) [Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/) > [My parents decided - because they were not going to teach us anything Jewish at home - to send both me and my sister…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/my-parents-decided-because-they-were-not-going-to-teach-us-anything/) [Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/) > [People are looking for certainty. The more complex the world becomes, the more people look for people to give them certainty and tell them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/people-are-looking-for-certainty-the-more-complex-the-world-becomes/) [Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/) [Explore all 77 Noreena Hertz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/) ## More Activism quotes > [“God has a way of picking a “nobody” and turning their world upside down, in order to create a “somebody” that will remove the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/god-has-a-way-of-picking-a-nobody-and-turning-their-world-upside-down/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“All struggles against oppression in the modern woeld begin by redefining what had previously been consideered private, non-public and non-political issues as matters of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seyla-benhabib/all-struggles-against-oppression-in-the-modern-woeld-begin-by/) Seyla Benhabib > [Joy doesn't betray but sustains activism. And when you face a politics that aspires to make you fearful, alienated and isolated, joy is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/joy-doesn-t-betray-but-sustains-activism-and-when-you-face-a-politics/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“It takes a female to have a baby, It takes a woman to raise a child, It takes a mother to raise them correctly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/it-takes-a-female-to-have-a-baby-it-takes-a-woman-to-raise-a-child-it/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Paul Revere earned his living as a silversmith. But what do we remember him for? His volunteer work. All activism is volunteering in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-j-ellis/paul-revere-earned-his-living-as-a-silversmith-but-what-do-we/) Susan J. Ellis > [Being in service and being involved in something that is greater than you is what makes a person complete and whole. The very first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-moreno/being-in-service-and-being-involved-in-something-that-is-greater-than/) [Rita Moreno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-moreno/) > [“The times do not call for grassroots political activism, as if the next election might be enough to reverse a massive cultural earthquake. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-d-miller/the-times-do-not-call-for-grassroots-political-activism-as-if-the/) Paul D. Miller > [He went to Paris looking for answers to questions that bothered him so. He was impressive, young and aggressive, saving the world on his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-buffett/he-went-to-paris-looking-for-answers-to-questions-that-bothered-him/) [Jimmy Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-buffett/) > [Poetry is a lousy form of activism; it doesn't really change much. And maybe we can point to one or two historical times when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-gottlieb/poetry-is-a-lousy-form-of-activism-it-doesn-t-really-change-much-and/) [Daphne Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-gottlieb/) > [There's a lot of activism that doesn't deal with empowerment, and you have to empower yourself in order to be relevant to any type…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talib-kweli/there-s-a-lot-of-activism-that-doesn-t-deal-with-empowerment-and-you/) [Talib Kweli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talib-kweli/) > [“Until you find a cause you can die for, you are not worthy to live.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ifeanyi-enoch-onuoha/until-you-find-a-cause-you-can-die-for-you-are-not-worthy-to-live/) [Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ifeanyi-enoch-onuoha/) > [Ya'll know what you need to do? Get together, make a We Are The World record.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-jackson/ya-ll-know-what-you-need-to-do-get-together-make-a-we-are-the-world/) [Curtis Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-jackson/) > [“There is no way to tell if we are the pioneers of a visionary new age, whisking humanity into the high vibrations of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-talat-phillips/there-is-no-way-to-tell-if-we-are-the-pioneers-of-a-visionary-new-age/) [Jonathan Talat Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-talat-phillips/) > [Terence McKenna says, "The culture is not your friend." I am not sure we can change this culture. 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