Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Our time in history

This was a very sobering letter but one that I thought had a lot of wisdom in it from such a young person. May we all read it and check if any of these things are taking away from our lives or away from the lives of our families. May we remember it is vital to learn from the past.

Our Time in History

A Columbine High School student wrote:

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 judgment; more experts, but less solutions; more medicine, but less wellness.

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 cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.

We've split the atom, but not our prejudice.

We have higher incomes, but lower morals.

We've become long on quantity, but short on quality.

These are the times of 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 divorce; of fancier houses, but broken homes.

It is a time when there is much in the show window and nothing in the stockroom.

 

We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future."   ~ George Bernard Shaw

"Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it."  ~ George Santavana

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