Pico Ayer's article reminded me very much of the poem by the Dalai Lama, "The Paradox of Our Age." I think it really encapsulates how much we've taken for granted and how things have become "backward" in a sense.
We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers
Wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints
We spend more, but we have less
We have bigger houses, but 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 medicines, but less wellness
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values
We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often
We have learnt how to make a 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 the new neighbour
We have conquered outer space, but not inner space
We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted our soul
We’ve split the atom, but not our prejudice
We’ve 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 the days of two incomes, but more divorces
Of fancier houses, but broken homes
It is a time when there is much in the show window
And nothing in the stockroom
A time when technology can bring this letter to you
And a time when you can choose
Either to make a difference.... or just hit, delete.
I like this poem :)) It somehow sums up what is happening not only in the world but also in our lives as well. A lot of people tend to focus on the outside in trying to attain so much things in life thinking that it is how to achieve happiness but the paradox here is that they tend to neglect what's inside their hearts that at the end of the day they don't really know what is the purpose of their life because of so many confusion and distractions that aren't really needed. It's actually kind of sad to realize this because I think we, human beings, were born to have this sense of being attach to one another and also to our inner being where we strive to grow to become better human beings.
ReplyDeleteKat Balonan
PH 101 A
This is my favorite line, "We have learnt how to make a living, but not a life" since it captures the question of what it means to live. We are here not just to exist or to be on the surface level, but we're here to go beyond that and give meaning to our existence. In a way, we're here to transcend from existing to living a life and experiencing the beautiful and even the ugly things because to experience is to go out of oneself and feel the limitless opportunities that the world offers. In Marcel's article, he says that "a human life has always its center outside itself", hence experience - to be in contact with things outside of you. And I believe this is what it means to live.
ReplyDeleteCara Garcia
Ph101 A
I think this is directly related to Marcel's Broken World.
ReplyDeleteI've always seen the story that the poem depicts in real life. Kids playing games on their iPads rather than bonding with their relative or people spending thousands and thousands of pesos for an overrated cellphone but not being able to spare a few coins for the less privileged. As the technological advances are made in civilization, so does the humanity in civilization decline. A loss of perspective is evident in our prospective society. We will be eternally deceived if the focus of our lives is to seek transcendence by gaining material wealth or attaining a powerful position at work. Man's restlessness can never be satisfied by means of money and power yet modern beliefs say otherwise.
Trunks Atienza
PH101 A