“Within this culture wealth is measured by one's ability to consume and destroy.”
In this quote by Derrick Jensen, he sheds light on the toxic relationship our society has with wealth. Jensen suggests that in a culture driven by consumerism, individuals are judged by their ability to consume and destroy resources. This ties into the harmful effects of capitalism and consumer culture, where success is often equated with materialistic accumulation and excessiveness. Jensen's words serve as a poignant reminder of the environmental and social consequences of prioritizing consumption over sustainability and responsibility.
The quote by Derrick Jensen sheds light on how our current society values material possessions and the ability to consume without considering the consequences of our actions. This mindset can be seen in various aspects of modern society, from the mindset of overconsumption leading to environmental degradation to the pursuit of wealth at the expense of others.
"“Within this culture wealth is measured by one's ability to consume and destroy.” - Derrick Jensen"
When considering Derrick Jensen's quote, "Within this culture wealth is measured by one's ability to consume and destroy," we are prompted to reflect on our society's values and priorities. Here are some questions to consider:
“This book is about fighting back. The dominant culture -civilization- is killing the planet, and it is long past time for those of us who care about life on earth to begin taking the actions necessary to stop this culture from destroying every living thing.”
“To pretend that civilization can exist without destroying its own landbase and the landbases and cultures of others is to be entirely ignorant of history, biology, thermodynamics, morality, and self-preservation.”
“We cannot hope to create a sustainable culture with any but sustainable souls.”
“There have existed, and for the time being still exist, many cultures whose members refuse to cut the vocal cords of the planet, and refuse to enter into the deadening deal which we daily accept as part of living. It is perhaps significant that prior to contact with Western Civilization many of these cultures did not have rape, nor did they have child abuse (the Okanagans of what is now British Columbia, to provide just one example, had neither word nor concept in their language corresponding to the abuse of a child.)”
“To reverse the effects of civilization would destroy the dreams of a lot of people. There's no way around it. We can talk all we want about sustainability, but there's a sense in which it doesn't matter that these people's dreams are based on, embedded in, intertwined with, and formed by an inherently destructive economic and social system. Their dreams are still their dreams. What right do I -- or does anyone else -- have to destroy them.At the same time, what right do they have to destroy the world?”
“A culture that values production over life values the wrong things, because it will produce things at the expense of living beings, human or otherwise.”