"We are taught to consume. And that's what we do. But if we realized that there really is no reason to consume, that it's just a mind set, that it's just an addiction, then we wouldn't be out there stepping on people's hands climbing the corporate ladder of success"

This quote by River Phoenix talks to the concept that we are conditioned to consume, which this consumption is often driven by a need to be successful. He recommends that if we were to acknowledge that this need to take in is merely a frame of mind, an addiction, then we would not be so focused on climbing up the corporate ladder. He is recommending that if we were to break free from this frame of mind, we would have the ability to concentrate on more significant pursuits. This quote speaks to the idea that we should bear in mind our consumption which we must aim to discover meaning in our lives beyond material ownerships. It is a pointer that we must be conscious of our actions and that we must aim to make a positive effect on the world.