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.

Phoenix frames consumerism as a learned behavior—an “addiction” sustained by social conditioning rather than genuine need. The quote links that conditioning to a broader moral critique: when consumption becomes the measure of worth, people are pushed into ruthless competition (“stepping on people’s hands”) to secure status, income, and the appearance of “success.” His contrast implies that recognizing the arbitrariness of consumer desire could loosen the grip of corporate ambition and reduce harm to others. The image of the corporate ladder suggests a system that rewards climbing over solidarity, and the quote argues that changing the mindset behind consumption is a prerequisite for changing the behavior it drives.