The more and more we have in life, The less and less we actually have

The paradox of our time in history is that the affluent and the upper middle class, with all their riches and abundance, comforts and luxuries, crave for more and more. The insatiable thirst for sensual pleasure/material comforts, to the greater neglect of values, morals, culture and laughter, has created a big void in life.

Saint Thiruvalluvar says that “those who are detached and distanced from comfort giving material goods are also free from their adverse consequences”.

Today I stumbled upon the interesting quote by George Cartin which I have transformed into a free versa.

We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers
Wider freeways, but narrower view points
We earn more, but have less
We have bigger houses and smaller families
More conveniences but less time
We have more degree but less sense,
More knowledge but less judgment,
More experts, yet more problems,
More medicines but less wellness

We drink too much, smoke too much,
Spend too recklessly, laugh too little,
Drive too fast, get too angry,
Stay up too late, get up too tired,
Read too little, watch TV too much
And pray too seldom.
We have multiplied our professions,
But reduced our values
We talk too much, love too seldom,
And hate too often.
We have learned how to make of living,
But not a life
We have added years to life
But not life to years

We’ve been all the way to the moon and back,
But have trouble crossing the street
To meet a new neighbor
We conquered outer space
But not inner space
We’ve done large things.
We’ve cleaned up the air,
But polluted the soul
We’ve conquered 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 we communicate less and less