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Average man Quote by Raymond Chandler

“Man has always been a venal animal. The growth of populations, the huge costs of war, the incessant pressure of confiscatory taxation – all these things make him more and more venal. The average man is tired and scared, and a tired, scared man can’t afford ideals. He has to buy food for his…” quote by Raymond Chandler
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““Man has always been a venal animal. The growth of populations, the huge costs of war, the incessant pressure of confiscatory taxation – all these things make him more and more venal. The average man is tired and scared, and a tired, scared man can’t afford ideals. He has to buy food for his family. In our time we have seen a shocking decline in both public and private morals. You can’t expect quality from people whose lives are a subjection to a lack of quality. You can’t have quality with mass production. You don’t want it because it lasts too long. So you substitute styling, which is a commercial swindle intended to produce artificial obsolescence. Mass production couldn’t sell its goods next year unless it made what is sold this year look unfashionable a year from now. We have the whitest kitchens and the most shining bathrooms in the world. But in the lovely white kitchen the average [person] can’t produce a meal fit to eat, and the lovely shining bathroom is mostly a receptacle for deodorants, laxatives, sleeping pills, and the products of that confidence racket called the cosmetic industry. We make the finest packages in the world, Mr Marlowe. The stuff inside is mostly junk.””

Raymond Chandler

About This Quote

Source Novel: The Big Sleep, 1939

Society’s pressures push people toward materialism and superficiality, eroding genuine quality and moral standards.

In simple terms: People become focused on surface goods, losing deeper values.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize substance over style.

Themes

materialism morality consumerism quality illusion

Mood

cynical critical reflective

Type

philosophical social commentary

When to use this quote

  • personal budgeting
  • ethical purchasing
  • community building
  • advocacy for sustainable design

Key Concepts

social decay economic pressure mass production obsolescence cosmetics industry

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can individuals resist consumerist pressure?
  • What policies could curb planned obsolescence?
A Different Perspective

Mass production can still produce quality if values shift.

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