--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Consumerism has worked very hard, with…" description: "\"“Consumerism has worked very hard, with the help of popular psychology (‘Just do it!’) to convince people that indulgence is good for you, whereas frug..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/170/yuval-noah-harari-100_consumerism_consumerism-has-worked-very-hard-with-th_2401484.jpg" --- # Consumerism has worked very hard, with the help of popular… ![“Consumerism has worked very hard, with the help of popular psychology (‘Just do it!’) to convince people that indulgence is good for you, whereas frugality is self-oppression. It” quote by Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/170/yuval-noah-harari-100_consumerism_consumerism-has-worked-very-hard-with-th_2401484.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/170/yuval-noah-harari-100_consumerism_consumerism-has-worked-very-hard-with-th_2401484.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/170/yuval-noah-harari-100_consumerism_consumerism-has-worked-very-hard-with-th_2401484.jpg) > ““Consumerism has worked very hard, with the help of popular psychology (‘Just do it!’) to convince people that indulgence is good for you, whereas frugality is self-oppression. It”” [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Describes how consumer culture, driven by motivational slogans, frames indulgence as beneficial while portraying frugality as self-denial. **In simple terms:** Consumerism sells pleasure, frugality sells sacrifice. Key Takeaway Reevaluate personal consumption values. Themes consumerism psychology culture economics Mood reflective critical analytical Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - personal finance - advertising - public policy - education Key Concepts behavioral economics marketing self-control Questions to Reflect On - What drives your spending choices? - Can frugality be reframed positively? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex economic behaviors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Consumerism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumerism/) [Frugality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frugality/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) ## Related quotes > [Many books in popular psychology are a melange of the author's comments, a dollop of research, and stupefyingly dull transcriptions from interviews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-tavris/many-books-in-popular-psychology-are-a-melange-of-the-author-s/) [Carol Tavris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-tavris/) > [What we have come to, through a combination of popular psychology and expanding technology, is a presumption that all our thoughts and feelings are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/what-we-have-come-to-through-a-combination-of-popular-psychology-and/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [Popular psychology is a mass of cant, of slush and of superstition worthy of the most flourishing days of the medicine man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/popular-psychology-is-a-mass-of-cant-of-slush-and-of-superstition/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [The consumption society has made us feel that happiness lies in having things, and has failed to teach us the happiness of not having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elise-m-boulding/the-consumption-society-has-made-us-feel-that-happiness-lies-in/) [Elise M. Boulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elise-m-boulding/) > [“We’re taught we can pay for everything we need. Our very lives can be purchased, and by extension, we can buy the rights to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-willard-thames/we-re-taught-we-can-pay-for-everything-we-need-our-very-lives-can-be/) Elizabeth Willard Thames > [New pressures are causing ever more people to find their main satisfaction in their consumptive role rather than in their productive role. And these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vance-packard/new-pressures-are-causing-ever-more-people-to-find-their-main/) [Vance Packard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vance-packard/) > [“Consumerism and nationalism work extra hours to make us imagine that millions of strangers belong to the same community as ourselves, that we all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/consumerism-and-nationalism-work-extra-hours-to-make-us-imagine-that/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Consumerism tells us that in order to be happy we must consume as many products and services as possible. If we feel that something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/consumerism-tells-us-that-in-order-to-be-happy-we-must-consume-as/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“The capitalist and consumerist ethics are two sides of the same coin, a merger of two commandments. The supreme commandment of the rich is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/the-capitalist-and-consumerist-ethics-are-two-sides-of-the-same-coin/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“I’ll eventually replace my charity clothes with things I’ll buy for myself, but not until I’ve worn them through.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-cody/i-ll-eventually-replace-my-charity-clothes-with-things-i-ll-buy-for/) Jennifer Cody > [If true, the Pythagorean principles as to abstain from flesh, foster innocence; if ill-founded they at least teach us frugality, and what loss have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/if-true-the-pythagorean-principles-as-to-abstain-from-flesh-foster/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [In order to prove a friend to one's guests, frugality must reign in one's meals; and, according to an ancient saying, one must eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/in-order-to-prove-a-friend-to-one-s-guests-frugality-must-reign-in/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [“The funeral carriage went slowly. It looked quite expensive, but that was Cockbill Street for you. People put money by. Vimes remembered that. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-funeral-carriage-went-slowly-it-looked-quite-expensive-but-that/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [By sowing frugality we reap liberty, a golden harvest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agesilaus-ii/by-sowing-frugality-we-reap-liberty-a-golden-harvest/) [Agesilaus II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agesilaus-ii/) > [Having, First, gained all you can, and, Secondly saved all you can, Then give all you can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wesley/having-first-gained-all-you-can-and-secondly-saved-all-you-can-then/) [John Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley/) ## More by Yuval Noah Harari > [“For similar reasons, archaic humans did not initiate any revolutions. 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First, you never admit that the order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/how-do-you-cause-people-to-believe-in-an-imagined-order-such-as/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [I think the basic thing that happened is we have lost our story. Humans think in stories, and we try to make sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/i-think-the-basic-thing-that-happened-is-we-have-lost-our-story/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Whereas chimpanzees spend five hours a day chewing raw food, a single hour suffices for people eating cooked food. 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We invented them to serve us; why do we find ourselves sacrificing our lives in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/corporations-money-and-nations-exist-only-in-our-imagination-we/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Small children in affluent societies often dislike showering, and it takes them years of education and parental discipline to adopt this supposedly attractive custom.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/small-children-in-affluent-societies-often-dislike-showering-and-it/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Ever more scholars see cultures as a kind of mental infection or parasite, with humans as its unwitting host. Organic parasites, such as viruses,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/ever-more-scholars-see-cultures-as-a-kind-of-mental-infection-or/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Soviet Communism was a fanatical and missionary religion. A devout Communist could not be a Christian or a Buddhist, and was expected to spread…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/soviet-communism-was-a-fanatical-and-missionary-religion-a-devout/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Whereas religion asks us to believe in something, money asks us to believe that other people believe in something”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/whereas-religion-asks-us-to-believe-in-something-money-asks-us-to/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Terrorists are like a fly that tries to destroy a china shop. The fly is so weak that it cannot budge even a single…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/terrorists-are-like-a-fly-that-tries-to-destroy-a-china-shop-the-fly/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Yet what happens if the greedy shoemaker increases his profits by paying employees less and increasing their work hours? The standard answer is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/yet-what-happens-if-the-greedy-shoemaker-increases-his-profits-by/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“A natural order is a stable order. There is no chance that gravity will cease to function tomorrow, even if people stop believing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/a-natural-order-is-a-stable-order-there-is-no-chance-that-gravity/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) [Explore all 1,200 Yuval Noah Harari quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) ## 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 > [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. 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