The Paradox of our Times

This essay has been published on numerous websites.  For some time the name of the original author was unknown or disputed.  The following was apparently written by Dr. Bob Moorehead, former pastor of Seattle’s Overlake Christian church.  The essay appeared in under the title of “The Paradox of Our Age” in Words Aptly Spoken, which is a collection his prayers and sermons.

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 more problems; more medicine,
but less wellness.
We drink too much, smoke too much, 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, 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.
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 divorce; of fancier houses,
but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers,
throw-away morality, one-night stands, overweight bodies, and pills
that do everything from cheer to quiet, to kill.
It is a time when there is much in the show window and nothing in
the stockroom; Indeed, these are the times!