Consumerism Quote by Terence McKenna
““We have to create culture, don't watch TV, don't read magazines, don't even listen to NPR. Create your own roadshow. The nexus of space and time where you are now is the most immediate sector of your universe, and if you're worrying about Michael Jackson or Bill Clinton or somebody else, then you are disempowered, you're giving it all away to icons, icons which are maintained by an electronic media so that you want to dress like X or have lips like Y. This is shit-brained, this kind of thinking. That is all cultural diversion, and what is real is you and your friends and your associations, your highs, your orgasms, your hopes, your plans, your fears. And we are told 'no', we're unimportant, we're peripheral. 'Get a degree, get a job, get a this, get a that.' And then you're a player, you don't want to even play in that game. You want to reclaim your mind and get it out of the hands of the cultural engineers who want to turn you into a half-baked moron consuming all this trash that's being manufactured out of the bones of a dying world.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Interview on cultural autonomy, 1990s
The speaker urges individuals to reject passive media consumption and instead create personal meaning through real relationships and self‑directed goals.
In simple terms: Avoid media distractions and build your own life.
Key Takeaway
Focus on authentic connections.
Themes
self‑reliance
media criticism
authenticity
Mood
critical
defiant
Type
philosophical
motivational
When to use this quote
- personal development
- friendship building
- creative projects
- media literacy
Key Concepts
cultural engineering
identity formation
consumerism
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you balance media use with personal creation?
- What small steps reclaim your mind independence?
A Different Perspective
It may be unrealistic to completely avoid all cultural influences.
