what does the following quote mean and how does it relate to our society? "it looks to me like everybody spends their whole life tearing everybody else down."McMurphy

This seems to be human nature. People tear each other down out of this sense of perpetual competition and low self-worth. It's a nasty cycle that we see everyday, not only in people around us but in ourselves. Tearing others down makes us feel better about ourselves, it gives us the illusion of power.