It's an incredible con job when you think about it, to believe something now in exchange for something after death. Even corporations with their reward systems don't try to make it posthumous.

Gloria Steinem’s quote critiques the idea of believing in a reward or promise after death in exchange for actions or beliefs in the present. She compares this to the way corporations offer rewards and incentives, but with the crucial difference that those rewards are always immediate and tangible. By highlighting the absurdity of accepting a promise that won’t be realized until after death, Steinem points out how religious systems or ideologies often ask followers to invest in an unseen or future benefit, making the belief a kind of "con job." The quote questions why people are willing to accept this long-term, intangible gamble when no other system in society—like corporations—would expect such a delayed return.

Steinem, a prominent feminist and social activist, is known for her critical reflections on society, power structures, and inequality. This quote reflects her skepticism toward systems that demand faith without providing immediate, verifiable rewards or results. In her view, the concept of believing in something for the sake of a posthumous reward seems manipulative and economically unreasonable, drawing a parallel to corporate incentive structures that focus on instant gratification or tangible outcomes for their efforts.

The comparison to corporations emphasizes how practical, real-world systems generally do not demand faith or sacrifices for something that won’t be experienced in the present. Instead, they offer immediate incentives for productivity or loyalty, making Steinem’s point that the promise of a reward after death is uniquely abstract and risky. This is a critique of how certain religious or ideological systems leverage hope for the afterlife to secure the devotion and compliance of followers in the present, without any guarantee of that promise being fulfilled.

The origin of this quote likely comes from Steinem’s broader critiques of religious and social systems that place more value on spiritual beliefs than on tangible, real-world actions and rewards. As a figure of feminist and political thought, Steinem often questioned the societal systems that enforce unquestioned faith or obedience. Through this quote, she challenges the wisdom and fairness of placing faith in something so distant and uncertain, using the corporate world’s approach to rewards as a contrast to make her point.