The Paradox of Our Time

Came across this when I was reading a book…

The Paradox of Our Time

The Paradox of our time in history is that we have
taller buildings, but shorter tempers;
wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints.
We spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less.

We have bigger houses and smaller families;
more conveniences, but less time.
We have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge,
but less judgement; more experts, but more problems;
more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly,
laugh too little, drive too fast, get angry too quickly, stay up
too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much,
and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.
We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.
We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life;
we’ve added years to life, not life to years.

We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble
crossing the street to meet the new neighbor.
We’ve conquered outer space, but not inner space.
We’ve done larger things, but not better things.

We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.
We’ve split the atom, but not our prejudice.
We write more, but learn less.
We plan more, but accomplish less.
We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait.

We build more computers to hold more information to produce
more copies than ever, but have less communication.
We’ve become long on quantity, but short on quality.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion; tall men,
and short character; steep profits, and shallow relationships.
These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare; more
leisure, but less fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition.
These are days of two incomes, but more divorces;
of fancier houses, but broken homes.
These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers,
throwaway morality, one-night stands, overweight bodies,
and pills that do everything from cheer to quiet, to kill.

It is time when there is much in the showroom and little in
our heart’s room; a time when technology can bring this letter to
you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight,
or to just delete it.

~ Dr. Bob Moorehead

(The above essay appeared under the title “The Paradox of Our Age” in Words Aptly Spoken, Dr Moorehead’s 1995 collection of prayers, homilies and monologues used in his sermons and radio broadcasts)

Hmm, not sure what to comment on after reading this, I guess the content says it all. Maybe we should take time to think about this insightful paradox…