---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Addiction is when natural biological…"
description: "\"“Addiction is when natural biological imperatives, like the need for food, sex, relaxation or status, become prioritised to the point of destructivenes..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/922/russell-brand-1242_addiction_addiction-is-when-natural-biological-imp_1157399.jpg"
---

#  Addiction is when natural biological imperatives, like the…

![“Addiction is when natural biological imperatives, like the need for food, sex, relaxation or status, become prioritised to the point of destructiveness. It is exacerbated by a culture that understandably exploits this mechanic as it's a damn good way to sell Mars bars and Toyotas.” quote by Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/922/russell-brand-1242_addiction_addiction-is-when-natural-biological-imp_1157399.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/922/russell-brand-1242_addiction_addiction-is-when-natural-biological-imp_1157399.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/922/russell-brand-1242_addiction_addiction-is-when-natural-biological-imp_1157399.jpg)

> ““Addiction is when natural biological imperatives, like the need for food, sex, relaxation or status, become prioritised to the point of destructiveness. It is exacerbated by a culture that understandably exploits this mechanic as it's a damn good way to sell Mars bars and Toyotas.””

[Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Addiction turns natural drives into harmful obsessions, amplified by consumer culture that exploits these urges for profit.

**In simple terms:** Addiction hijacks basic needs and is worsened by marketing.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and limit influences that turn needs into dependencies.

Themes

addiction consumerism psychology health culture

Mood

concerned critical reflective

Type

analytical social commentary

When to use this quote

- personal health
- marketing strategy
- public policy
- education
- therapy

Key Concepts

behavioral economics neuroscience social influence

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you differentiate healthy desire from harmful compulsion?
- What responsibilities do marketers have toward vulnerable consumers?

A Different Perspective

Commercial exploitation can mask the severity of addiction, making it harder to address.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Addiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/addiction/) [Biology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biology/) [Capitalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism/) [Exploitation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exploitation/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Selling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selling/) [The-human-condition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/the-human-condition/) [Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wine/)

## Related quotes

> [“The constellation of behaviours we call addiction is provoked by a complex set of neurological and emotional mechanisms that develop inside a person. These…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/the-constellation-of-behaviours-we-call-addiction-is-provoked-by-a/)

[Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/)

> [“The condition in extreme is identifiable but the less obvious version of addiction is still painful and arguably worse because we simply adapt to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/the-condition-in-extreme-is-identifiable-but-the-less-obvious-version/)

[Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/)

> [“The instinct that drives compulsion is universal. It is an attempt to solve the problem of disconnection, alienation, tepid despair... the problem is ultimately…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/the-instinct-that-drives-compulsion-is-universal-it-is-an-attempt-to/)

[Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/)

> [To be human is to be in the tense condition of a death-foreseeing, consciously libidinous animal. No other earthly creature suffers such a capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/to-be-human-is-to-be-in-the-tense-condition-of-a-death-foreseeing/)

[John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/)

> [“But the biological impulse to have kids was still there. Sure, some people didn’t experience it and didn’t want kids, but many others like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-davies/but-the-biological-impulse-to-have-kids-was-still-there-sure-some/)

[E. Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-davies/)

> [“I don't have anything against therapy, by the way; it's great for other people. It's just that, personally, I see the enterprise as proceeding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-risk-hallberg/i-don-t-have-anything-against-therapy-by-the-way-it-s-great-for-other/)

[Garth Risk Hallberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-risk-hallberg/)

> [“I had long ago stopped believing in promises. Biological imperatives, yes. Environmental factors, yes. Promises, no.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/i-had-long-ago-stopped-believing-in-promises-biological-imperatives/)

[Jeff VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/)

> [“Because mankind can circumvent evolutionary law, it is incumbent upon him, say evolutionary biologists to develop another law to abide by if he wishes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-l-pez/because-mankind-can-circumvent-evolutionary-law-it-is-incumbent-upon/)

[Barry Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-l-pez/)

> [“Sometimes in life there's no problem and sometimes there solution. Within this space - between these apparent poles - life flows.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rasheed-ogunlaru/sometimes-in-life-there-s-no-problem-and-sometimes-there-solution/)

[Rasheed Ogunlaru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rasheed-ogunlaru/)

> [“Men are more resilient than that, I think. Our belief is often strongest when it should be weakest. That is the nature of hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/men-are-more-resilient-than-that-i-think-our-belief-is-often/)

[Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/)

> [“In this worried rush, nobody stopped to see the sun appear over rooftops. Unnoticed beauty lost in the need to be everywhere, in every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mala-naidoo/in-this-worried-rush-nobody-stopped-to-see-the-sun-appear-over/)

[Mala Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mala-naidoo/)

> [“All this miraculous hatred. Christ, a man can't eat his breakfast for filling his belly full of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colum-mccann/all-this-miraculous-hatred-christ-a-man-can-t-eat-his-breakfast-for/)

[Colum McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colum-mccann/)

> [“The Human Condition has a vacancy...a transient declaring It's Self The Victor! Till death do us part in This War for human isolation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosemarie-yusen/the-human-condition-has-a-vacancy-a-transient-declaring-it-s-self-the/)

Rosemarie Yusen

> [“Tomorrow I'll suggest the liar lies against himself So our condition makes escape impossible? -- we breathe and it's moving air that causes stars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-hall/tomorrow-i-ll-suggest-the-liar-lies-against-himself-so-our-condition/)

Rodney Hall

> [“It's a wonder they ever get out of bed at all. But they do, repeatedly, thousands of times each. And not only that -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-haig/it-s-a-wonder-they-ever-get-out-of-bed-at-all-but-they-do-repeatedly/)

[Matt Haig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-haig/)

## More by Russell Brand

> [It's difficult to believe in yourself because the idea of self is an artificial construction. You are, in fact, part of the glorious oneness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/it-s-difficult-to-believe-in-yourself-because-the-idea-of-self-is-an/)

[Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/)

> [“I was already a weary connoisseur of my dad’s pornography and had begun to develop my almost supernatural ability for guessing women’s bra sizes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/i-was-already-a-weary-connoisseur-of-my-dad-s-pornography-and-had/)

[Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/)

> [The right to free speech is important but it isn't as important as 'we're all human beings together, let's find solutions together.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/the-right-to-free-speech-is-important-but-it-isn-t-as-important-as-we/)

[Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/)

> [“now believe addiction to be a calling. A blessing. I now hear a rhythm behind the beat, behind the scratching discordant sound of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/now-believe-addiction-to-be-a-calling-a-blessing-i-now-hear-a-rhythm/)

[Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/)

> [“The most insightful thing I ever heard, was overheard. I was waiting for a rail replacement bus in Hackney Wick. These two old women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/the-most-insightful-thing-i-ever-heard-was-overheard-i-was-waiting/)

[Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/)

> [I struggle in these situations not to let my madness govern me, and to let the positive aspects of my character define my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/i-struggle-in-these-situations-not-to-let-my-madness-govern-me-and-to/)

[Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/)

> [Consciousness exists beyond your head, between our heads, and it can manifest harmony.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/consciousness-exists-beyond-your-head-between-our-heads-and-it-can/)

[Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/)

> [Our basic fundamental desires are overly stimulated. A friend of mine said, "you have a generation of people that have been accidentally marketed to."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/our-basic-fundamental-desires-are-overly-stimulated-a-friend-of-mine/)

[Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/)

> [Heres one for Russell; angels are seen unaware,, but people all around me see evil everyday clearly,, what does this say about what people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/heres-one-for-russell-angels-are-seen-unaware-but-people-all-around/)

[Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/)

> [If people have some sort of yearning, dissatisfaction or some itching irritability, then it might because they aren't looking in the right direction for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/if-people-have-some-sort-of-yearning-dissatisfaction-or-some-itching/)

[Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/)

> [It would have been convenient to be gay. Just because of the grooming, the narcissism, stuff like that. But I have this kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/it-would-have-been-convenient-to-be-gay-just-because-of-the-grooming/)

[Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/)

> [I think many of the boundaries that convention has placed upon us are arbitrary, so we can fiddle with them if we fancy. Gravity's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/i-think-many-of-the-boundaries-that-convention-has-placed-upon-us-are/)

[Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/)

> [One of the great sadnesses of modern life, because of our disenfranchisement and disillusionment with religion, is that we don't have access to these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/one-of-the-great-sadnesses-of-modern-life-because-of-our/)

[Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/)

> [The need to find out what will happen if I don't relent or moderate my actions has been a constant source of difficulty and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/the-need-to-find-out-what-will-happen-if-i-don-t-relent-or-moderate/)

[Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/)

> [I also do a lot of Kundalini yoga.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/i-also-do-a-lot-of-kundalini-yoga/)

[Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/)

[Explore all 267 Russell Brand quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/)

## More Addiction quotes

> [What has drug addiction done for me? It's cost me my career, my fortune and basically my sex life when I found out I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbin-crosby/what-has-drug-addiction-done-for-me-it-s-cost-me-my-career-my-fortune/)

Robbin Crosby

> [“The idea that creative endeavor and mind-altering substances are entwined is one of the great pop-intellectual myths of our time... Creative people probably do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-idea-that-creative-endeavor-and-mind-altering-substances-are/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [I really think the disease aspect gets lost when you're talking about alcoholism and addiction; it's not like you're battling leukemia or a heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-irsay/i-really-think-the-disease-aspect-gets-lost-when-you-re-talking-about/)

[Jim Irsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-irsay/)

> [I had an addiction to artificial points of success. Like being able to run for this or run for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-gallego/i-had-an-addiction-to-artificial-points-of-success-like-being-able-to/)

[Ruben Gallego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-gallego/)

> [“Addictions are just symptoms of underlying issues, and in my view Nikki self-medicated the emotional pain of his childhood, and being away from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-sixx/addictions-are-just-symptoms-of-underlying-issues-and-in-my-view/)

[Nikki Sixx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-sixx/)

> [“Oil. The great addiction of the civilized world”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-warren/oil-the-great-addiction-of-the-civilized-world/)

[Andrew Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-warren/)

> [“They say when you fall in love in love with someone that person becomes like a drug,an addiction you don't want to live without.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/they-say-when-you-fall-in-love-in-love-with-someone-that-person/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Addictions - Run to Jesus instead of running to your addiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/addictions-run-to-jesus-instead-of-running-to-your-addiction/)

[Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/)

> [Music is my personal addiction. So much of everything I've done has only been to open more doors for the music itself. It all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/music-is-my-personal-addiction-so-much-of-everything-i-ve-done-has/)

[Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/)

> [“I am made of a thousand ghosts. Only you can shoot me down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-james/i-am-made-of-a-thousand-ghosts-only-you-can-shoot-me-down/)

Bella James

> [Religious work is one of the best ways to keep from facing your reality if you are Christian, if you are using it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-miller/religious-work-is-one-of-the-best-ways-to-keep-from-facing-your/)

[Keith Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-miller/)

> [Cold sweats, hallucinations I wanna speed to stop. The hell I'm going through The addiction's taking you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bullet-for-my-valentine/cold-sweats-hallucinations-i-wanna-speed-to-stop-the-hell-i-m-going/)

[Bullet For My Valentine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bullet-for-my-valentine/)

> [As addictions go, reading is among the cleanest, easiest to feed, happiest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/as-addictions-go-reading-is-among-the-cleanest-easiest-to-feed/)

[Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/)

> [“Alcoholism is a choice... not a life sentence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-norman/alcoholism-is-a-choice-not-a-life-sentence/)

David Norman

> [“Suckers think that you cure greed with money, addiction with substances, expert problems with experts, banking with bankers, economics with economists, and debt crises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/suckers-think-that-you-cure-greed-with-money-addiction-with/)

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

[Browse all 2,134 Addiction quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/addiction/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Addiction is when natural biological imperatives, like the need for food, sex, relaxation or status, become prioritised to the point of destructiveness. It is exacerbated by a culture that understandably exploits this mechanic as it's a damn good way to sell Mars bars and Toyotas.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Russell Brand"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/addiction-is-when-natural-biological-imperatives-like-the-need-for/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Addiction"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/addiction-is-when-natural-biological-imperatives-like-the-need-for/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/922/russell-brand-1242_addiction_addiction-is-when-natural-biological-imp_1157399.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/922/russell-brand-1242_addiction_addiction-is-when-natural-biological-imp_1157399.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/922/russell-brand-1242_addiction_addiction-is-when-natural-biological-imp_1157399.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Addiction is when natural biological imperatives, like the need for food, sex, relaxation or status, become…” — Russell Brand",
                "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": "Russell Brand",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Addiction is when natural biological imperatives,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/addiction-is-when-natural-biological-imperatives-like-the-need-for/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/addiction-is-when-natural-biological-imperatives-like-the-need-for/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
