Paradox¹ of Our Times

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

[2] We spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get to angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too often, and pray too seldom.

[3] We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too little and lie too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life; we've added years to life, not life to years.

[4] 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.

[5] 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 split the atom, but not our prejudice; we write more, but learn less; plan more, but accomplish less.

[6] We've learned to rush, but not to wait; we have higher incomes, but lower morals. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies, but have less communication. We are long on quantity, but short on quality.

[7] These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion²; tall men and short character; steep profits and shallow relationships. More leisure and less fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition; two incomes, but more divorce; fancier houses, but broken homes.

[1]我们居住的房屋越来越宽敞，家庭却越来越小型化；可以享受的生活便利日益增多，属于自己的时间却日趋减少；我们获得了一张又一张学位证书，却愈加频繁确把握和判断；专家越来越多，问题却也日渐增加；药物越吃越多，健康却每况愈地陷入对常识的茫然中；我们广泛地涉猎各类知识，却越来越缺乏对于外界事物的准下。

[2]我们花钱太疯，笑容太少，开车太快，发怒太急，熬夜太晚，起身太累，文章读得太少，电视看得太勤，祷告做得太少。

[3]我们不断聚敛物质财富，却逐渐丢失了自我价值。我们的话语太多，真爱太少，谎言泛滥。我们掌握了谋生手段，却不懂得生活真谛；我们让年华付诸流水，却不曾将生命倾注其中。

[4]我们的住房越来越好，脾气却越来越糟；我们行驶的道路越来越宽阔，眼光却越来越狭隘。我们付出很多，可获得的很少；我们购买了很多，可从中得到的乐趣却很少。

[5]我们能够往返于地球与月球之间，却不乐于穿过马路向新邻居问好。我们可以征服外部空间，却慑于走进内心世界。我们可以击碎原子，却不能突破思想偏见；我们写得很多，可学到的很少；计划很多，可完成的很少。

[6]我们学会了追赶时间，却没学会耐心等待；我们拥有的财富越来越多，道德品质却日益沦丧。我们生产更多的电脑用于存储更多的信息和制造更多的拷贝，而相互间的交流与沟通却越来越少。我们拥有的是数量，缺乏的是质量。

[7]这是一个快餐食品和消化迟缓相伴的时代；一个体格高大和性格病态并存的时代；一个追名逐利和人情冷漠相生的时代。我们的休闲多了，乐趣却少了；食品种类多了，营养却少了；双薪家庭增加了，离婚率也激升了；居室的装修华丽了，家庭却残缺破碎了。