--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Because we lack a divine Center our need…" description: "\"“Because we lack a divine Center our need for security has led us into an insane attachment to things. We really must understand that the lust for affl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/412/richard-j-foster-1460_consumerism_because-we-lack-a-divine-center-our-need_1996411.png" --- # Because we lack a divine Center our need for security has… ![“Because we lack a divine Center our need for security has led us into an insane attachment to things. We really must understand that the lust for affluence in contemporary society is psychotic. It is psychotic because it has completely lost touch with reality. We crave things we neither need nor…” quote by Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/412/richard-j-foster-1460_consumerism_because-we-lack-a-divine-center-our-need_1996411.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/412/richard-j-foster-1460_consumerism_because-we-lack-a-divine-center-our-need_1996411.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/412/richard-j-foster-1460_consumerism_because-we-lack-a-divine-center-our-need_1996411.png) > ““Because we lack a divine Center our need for security has led us into an insane attachment to things. We really must understand that the lust for affluence in contemporary society is psychotic. It is psychotic because it has completely lost touch with reality. We crave things we neither need nor enjoy. 'We buy things we do not want to impress people we do not like'. Where planned obsolescence leaves off, psychological obsolescence takes over. We are made to feel ashamed to wear clothes or drive cars until they are worn out. The mass media have convinced us that to be out of step with fashion is to be out of step with reality. It is time we awaken to the fact that conformity to a sick society is to be sick. Until we see how unbalanced our culture has become at this point, we will not be able to deal with the mammon spirit within ourselves nor will we desire Christian simplicity.”” [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Modern consumer culture creates a compulsive, reality‑detached pursuit of status symbols, leading to spiritual emptiness and psychological distress. **In simple terms:** People chase unnecessary things for status, losing touch with reality. Key Takeaway Recognize and reject status‑driven consumption. Themes consumerism spirituality identity conformity psychology Mood critical reflective concerned Type philosophical motivational cautionary When to use this quote - personal budgeting - mindful purchasing - media literacy - community discussions - spiritual retreats Key Concepts materialism psychotic desire cultural critique Christian simplicity Questions to Reflect On - How does your sense of identity rely on possessions? - What steps can you take to simplify your life? A Different Perspective The critique may overlook genuine needs for comfort and safety that can be mischaracterized as materialism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ashamed Wear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ashamed-wear-3488691/) [Conformity Sick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conformity-sick-2760714/) [Consumerism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumerism/) [Cybersecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jesus/) [Lust Affluence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lust-affluence-1482106/) [Marketplace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marketplace/) [Mass media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass-media/) [Media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/media/) [Need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need/) [Possessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possessions/) [Psychological Obsolescence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychological-obsolescence-3488690/) [Simplicity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simplicity/) [Society Psychotic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society-psychotic-1482107/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [We really must understand that the lust for affluence in contemporary society is psychotic. It is psychotic because it has completely lost touch with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/we-really-must-understand-that-the-lust-for-affluence-in-contemporary/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [We really must understand that the lust for affluence in contemporary society is psychotic. It is psychotic because it has completely lost touch with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/we-really-must-understand-that-the-lust-for-affluence-in-contemporary-2/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [Conformity to a sick society is to be sick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/conformity-to-a-sick-society-is-to-be-sick/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [The lust for affluence in contemporary society has become psychotic; it has completely lost touch with reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/the-lust-for-affluence-in-contemporary-society-has-become-psychotic/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [“The history of irregular media operations is complex and fractured; generalizations are difficult. Yet it is possible to isolate three large and overlapping historical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-hecker/the-history-of-irregular-media-operations-is-complex-and-fractured/) [Marc Hecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-hecker/) > [All of us who professionally use the mass media are the shapers of society. We can vulgarise that society. We can brutalise it. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/all-of-us-who-professionally-use-the-mass-media-are-the-shapers-of/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [Photographers find themselves directly in competition with mass media's misrepresentations of women. So the photographic terrain is particularly contested from a political point of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-r-lippard/photographers-find-themselves-directly-in-competition-with-mass-media/) [Lucy R. Lippard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-r-lippard/) > [There are thus two tasks for the Mass Media division of Unesco, the one general, the other special. The special one is to enlist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-huxley/there-are-thus-two-tasks-for-the-mass-media-division-of-unesco-the/) [Julian Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-huxley/) > [If mass media, social isolation in the suburbs, alienating workplaces and long car commutes create a bunker mentality, the Internet does the opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-steffen/if-mass-media-social-isolation-in-the-suburbs-alienating-workplaces/) [Alex Steffen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-steffen/) > [Appeal to all scholars of stupidity in the world. Come to Italy, this country has the highest rate of morons of the universe, especially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-c-brown/appeal-to-all-scholars-of-stupidity-in-the-world-come-to-italy-this/) [William C. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-c-brown/) > [“Cultural criticism always attacks the mass media. I don't think that makes sense. We should look more closely at the work of deformation that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sloterdijk/cultural-criticism-always-attacks-the-mass-media-i-don-t-think-that/) [Peter Sloterdijk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-sloterdijk/) > [Nowadays, truth is the greatest news. The mass media are the wholesalers, the peer groups, the retailers of the communications industry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-riesman/nowadays-truth-is-the-greatest-news-the-mass-media-are-the/) [David Riesman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-riesman/) > [What if it turns out there really are witches and vampires and werewolves living right here alongside us? After all, what better disguise could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-lukyanenko/what-if-it-turns-out-there-really-are-witches-and-vampires-and/) [Sergei Lukyanenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-lukyanenko/) > [“The representation of women in the society, especially through mass media has been the most delusional act ever done on the grounds of human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/the-representation-of-women-in-the-society-especially-through-mass/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [There's plenty to criticize about the mass media, but they are the source of regular information about a wide range of topics. You can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-plenty-to-criticize-about-the-mass-media-but-they-are-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## More by Richard J. Foster > [Prayer is - listening for the still small voice of God. Listening with the "ear of our hearts."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/prayer-is-listening-for-the-still-small-voice-of-god-listening-with/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [Over-consumption is a cancer eating away at our spiritual vitals. It distances us from the great masses of broken bleeding humanity. It converts us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/over-consumption-is-a-cancer-eating-away-at-our-spiritual-vitals-it/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [“To believe that God can reach us and bless us in the ordinary junctures of daily life is the stuff of prayer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/to-believe-that-god-can-reach-us-and-bless-us-in-the-ordinary/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [Prayer is simply saying "thank you, bless you, praise you."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/prayer-is-simply-saying-thank-you-bless-you-praise-you/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [There is an old proverb to the effect that 'all those who open their mouths, close their eyes!' The purpose of silence and solitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/there-is-an-old-proverb-to-the-effect-that-all-those-who-open-their/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [It is an occupational hazard of devout folk to become stuffy bores. This should not be. Of all people, we should be the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/it-is-an-occupational-hazard-of-devout-folk-to-become-stuffy-bores/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [“Lord God, you deserve my best. Forgive me for the times I have offered you only the dregs, whether it be half-heartedly muttered prayers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/lord-god-you-deserve-my-best-forgive-me-for-the-times-i-have-offered/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [Superficiality is the curse of our age. The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/superficiality-is-the-curse-of-our-age-the-doctrine-of-instant/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [If worship does not change us it has not been worship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/if-worship-does-not-change-us-it-has-not-been-worship/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [“I want to mention one other reason why we shy away from commitment. It is, very simply, the fear that we will not be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/i-want-to-mention-one-other-reason-why-we-shy-away-from-commitment-it/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [“It is one thing to act like a servant; it is quite another to be a servant.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/it-is-one-thing-to-act-like-a-servant-it-is-quite-another-to-be-a/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [“we hold on so tightly to the good that we do know that we cannot receive the greater good that we do not know.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/we-hold-on-so-tightly-to-the-good-that-we-do-know-that-we-cannot/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [“Once we have made generous latitude for individual differences and schedules, we must firmly discipline ourselves to a regular pattern of prayer. We cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/once-we-have-made-generous-latitude-for-individual-differences-and/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [Freedom in the Gospel does not mean license. It means opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/freedom-in-the-gospel-does-not-mean-license-it-means-opportunity/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [“The tongue is our most powerful weapon of manipulation. A frantic stream of words flows from us because we are in a constant process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/the-tongue-is-our-most-powerful-weapon-of-manipulation-a-frantic/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) [Explore all 239 Richard J. Foster quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) ## More Consumerism quotes > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [if we center our lives on BMWs, RVs, VCRs, PCs and the other acronyms of consumerism, we cannot expect our children to do otherwise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnetta-b-cole/if-we-center-our-lives-on-bmws-rvs-vcrs-pcs-and-the-other-acronyms-of/) [Johnnetta B. Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnetta-b-cole/) > [“Salesmanship is usually the art of making it the prospect’s problem, the salesperson’s need or desire to earn money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/salesmanship-is-usually-the-art-of-making-it-the-prospect-s-problem/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [A lot of times, my work is looked at very much on the surface. It's very easy to just want to put something in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-koons/a-lot-of-times-my-work-is-looked-at-very-much-on-the-surface-it-s/) [Jeff Koons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-koons/) > [I think that consumerism is intrinsically a pretty flawed social system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-elkington/i-think-that-consumerism-is-intrinsically-a-pretty-flawed-social/) [John Elkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-elkington/) > [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/) > [“Fifty years ago, people went without clothes in order to eat. Today, people gladly go without food in order to buy clothes. 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. An increasing number of persons and institutions, from archy and mehitabel to PostScript and TrueType, come to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bringhurst/logograms-pose-a-more-difficult-question-an-increasing-number-of/) [Robert Bringhurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bringhurst/) > [One of the problems with industrialism is that it's based on the premise of more and more. It has to keep expanding to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dora-russell/one-of-the-problems-with-industrialism-is-that-it-s-based-on-the/) [Dora Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dora-russell/) > [Never buy what you do not want, because it is cheap; it will be dear to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/never-buy-what-you-do-not-want-because-it-is-cheap-it-will-be-dear-to/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The pharma pricing system was not built on the idea of consumer engagement. It was built... on market efficiencies. It was not built on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-bresch/the-pharma-pricing-system-was-not-built-on-the-idea-of-consumer/) [Heather Bresch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-bresch/) > [“We consumer and become exactly what we create. 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": "“Because we lack a divine Center our need for security has led us into an insane attachment to things. We really must understand that the lust for affluence in contemporary society is psychotic. It is psychotic because it has completely lost touch with reality. We crave things we neither need nor enjoy. 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