He wrote: “So great has been the change [in standards of living] that many of the desires of the individual are no longer even evident to him. They become so only as they are synthesized, elaborated and nurtured by advertising and salesmanship, and these, in turn, have become among our most important and talented professions.”
Selon Galbraith, la hausse du niveau de vie était telle que les individus n’étaient plus conscients de leurs désirs, et que les professions de la publicité et du commerce étaient devenu les plus importantes.