“If we lived within our means – by being prudent – the 7 billion people in the world could have everything they needed. Global politics should be moving in that direction. But we think as people and countries, not as a species.”
- May 20, 1935 – May 13, 2025
- Uruguayan
- Politician, Former President of Uruguay, Former Guerrilla Fighter, Advocate for Simple Living
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Quote
“If we lived within our means – by being prudent – the 7 billion people in the world could have everything they needed. Global politics should be moving in that direction. But we think as people and countries, not as a species.”
Explanation
In this quote, José Mujica underscores the potential for global sufficiency through collective restraint and solidarity, emphasizing that prudence and equitable resource use could ensure a decent life for everyone on the planet. He argues that the world’s material resources are adequate, but mismanagement, greed, and national self-interest prevent their fair distribution. The solution, he suggests, lies not in more production, but in rethinking how we consume and govern.
The contrast between “people and countries” versus “a species” reveals the core of Mujica’s critique: our inability to act with a shared planetary consciousness. Global politics, driven by competition and nationalism, has failed to prioritize the survival and dignity of humanity as a whole. He envisions a world where international cooperation replaces rivalry, and where policies are shaped by human needs rather than national interests or corporate profit.
Mujica’s message is especially relevant in the face of climate change, pandemics, and global inequality, which all demand coordinated, species-level thinking. His appeal to prudence and shared humanity offers a hopeful but challenging vision: that by living modestly and thinking collectively, we can build a world where no one is left behind—not by scarcity, but by selfishness.
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