John Updike: Whatever It Cost

Posted by admin on Thursday, June 18, 2020

John Updike Money Quote saying U.S. citizens have been brainwashed into preferring novelty, regardless of cost. John Updike said:
 
Americans have been conditioned to respect newness, whatever it cost them Quote
 

“Americans have been conditioned to respect newness, whatever it cost them” — John Updike

 

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In this quote, John Updike seems to be criticizing aspects of American consumer culture and prioritization of novelty. By stating Americans have been “conditioned to respect newness, whatever it cost them”, Updike implies that U.S. society promotes valuing the latest products, trends and technologies even if they come at a high financial or environmental price.

The quote conveys Updike’s perspective that Americans are socialized from a young age to covet what is new and cutting-edge regardless of the true value or cost-benefit analysis of constantly replacing items that still function with their latest iterations.

Overall, Updike appears to be arguing this conditioning encourages wastefulness, as Americans are programmed to desire the newest experiences and possessions without fully considering trade-offs associated with the pace of consumption and discarding older, but still viable, goods simply because they are no longer novel.

Birthday: March 18, 1932 – Death: January 27, 2009

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