The Paradox of our Age

We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers;
Wider freeways, but narrower view points; 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 spend too recklessly,
Laugh too little,
Drive too fast,
Get too angry too quickly
Stay up too late,
Get up too tired,
read too seldom.
We have multiplied our possessions,
but reduced our values.
We talk too much,
and lie too often.
We have learnt how to make a living, but not a life;
We have added years to life, not life to years.
We have been all the way to the moon and

, but have trouble crossing the street to
meet the new neighbour;
We have conquered outer space, but not inner space;
We have done larger things, but not better things;
We have split the atom, but not our prejudice;
We write more, but learn little;
Plan more but accomplish less.
We have learnt to rush, but not to wait;
We have higher incomes, but lower morals;
We have more food, but less appetite;
More acquaintances, but fewer friends;
More effort, but less success.
We build more computers to hold more information,
to produce more copies than ever, but have less communication;
We have 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.
We talk of world peace, but no domestic peace;
More leisure and less fun
More kinds of food but less nutrition.
These are the 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.
There is much in the show
window and nothing in the stock room!

-Courtesy: ‘The South India Churchman’
November 1998