"We're an air bag society that wants guarantees on everything that we buy. We want to be able to take everything back and get another one. We want a 401-k plan and Social Security"

This quote by James Hillman speaks to the consumerist culture of modern society. He is suggesting that we have actually become a society that expects guarantees and security in all elements of our lives. We wish to have the ability to return anything we purchase and get a new one, and we want to have monetary security in the kind of 401-k plans and Social Security. Hillman is suggesting that we have actually become extremely reliant on these assurances and securities, and that we have become an air bag society that is extremely careful and reluctant to take dangers. He is suggesting that this mindset has become a part of our culture, and that it is limiting our potential for development and progress.