“One goes to the market to participate in the world. As with all things that concern
the world, being in the market requires caution. The market – the essence of the
city – is always alive with possibility and danger. Strangers encounter each other
in the world’s infinite variety; vigilance is needed. Everyone is there not only to
buy and sell, but because it is a duty. If you sit in your house, if you refuse to go to
market, how would you know of the existence of others? How would you know of
your own existence?”
Teju Cole, Every Day is for the Thief (2014: 57)