we must once again be citizens

It is not just simply a question of making the 'other' change; the painful truth is that we, too, will have to change, instead of being merely consumers, we must once again become citizens - not just in the voting booth, but above all in the way in which we lead our lives. (...) If we want politics to be governed by the public interest - and that is more necessary than ever - we ourselves must promote that public interest, rather than private concerns.

- What about me? The Struggle for Identity in a Market-Based Society, Paul Verhaeghe (2012)