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About this quote

What does it mean?
Accumulating material goods is treated as a competition in this view.
In plain terms
The person with the most stuff is the winner.
What can you take from it?
Consumerism treats life as a material race.

Where it applies

  • discussing capitalism
  • wealth gaps
  • personal goals

Putting it to work

  • redefine success
  • focus on experiences
  • question accumulation

Questions to consider

  • What does winning life look like?
  • Does stuff bring happiness?

Another view

Many measure success by impact not possessions.

More from David Mitchell

  1. Lunatics are writers whose works write them.

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  2. The body is the outermost layer of the mind.

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  3. The most malicious god is the god of the counted chicken.

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