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"In a consumer society there are inevitably two kinds of slaves: the

prisoners of addiction and the prisoners of envy."
-Ivan Illich

Please write your interpretation of it in a paragraph of 5 sentences.

User Akrem
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1 Answer

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Answer:

Ivan Illich expresses his disdain for consumer societies. He claims that no one is happy in such a society, because amassing things materialistically does not truly fulfill anyone. A person can become addicted to buying and consumption, thus spiraling into a bad habit of spending money on things he does not need, yet still never finding happiness. Or he is held hostage by envy, because he cannot afford everything that others can buy, and is perpetually in a state of dissatisfaction over his current state in life, at the same time brewing resentment to his "superiors." Either way, a person in a consumer society, no matter how much material objects they accumulate, will find it difficult to be content.

User NizarETH
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