Paradox of our Age

Thought to share this poem from a wise man - Tibet's Dalai Lama. Relevant of our times.

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 healthiness;
We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor.
We build more computers to hold more information to produce more copies than ever but have less communication.
We have become long on quantity, but short on quality.
These are times of fast foods but slow digestion;
Tall man but short character;
Steep profits but shallow relationships.
It’s a time when there is much in the window, but nothing in the room.

May we ponder upon those words. It lists down our flaws, and fortunately, we do have the capacity to correct our errors and perceptions.

Good Luck!

I hae not read so many truism's all on 1 post before lol, oh how very true all of that is. I think we need to find a new path, 1 that is good for us as a species, our present course clearly is not the right path.

Originally posted by SeekerofTruth101

We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor.
We build more computers to hold more information to produce more copies than ever but have less communication.

I would contest on these two, anyway.

What about you and I, neighbor? Are we not stepping over the "electronic" street?

To meet and discuss issues and relate and educate?

Which is the best form of communication I know!

I can ask a guy in Brazil, or China, what they think of an idea or thought.

Cool, I love tech.

Star and flag, my friend.

reply to post by SeekerofTruth101


your right !!!

Tall man but short character;

I think the entire poem can be summed up in this one line. In order for things to change, the character and values of people need to change.

reply to post by SeekerofTruth101


According to snopes.com, this article is called the Paradox of Our Time by Dr. Bob Moorehead a former pastor Not the Dali Lama Or George Carlin or many others who have been said to have composed it.....

Always check when you post letters like this because the true author may not be getting acknowledged.....of course his story is a weird one.....

www.snopes.com...

I kinda like internet. It a great way to share thoughts without having to care about the masks we have to uphold in the offline world. It is the start of perfect comunication between humans and can help us keep track of the corruption that have spread around the world. Even in China it is used by the people to protest the corruption. It is the continuation of making the little peoples voices heard. It's a great tool but can both be used for good and bad.

I agree with the rest of the poem but feel hopeful for the future. Change is in the air. Namaste

Originally posted by Starwise
reply to post by SeekerofTruth101

 

According to snopes.com, this article is called the Paradox of Our Time by Dr. Bob Moorehead a former pastor Not the Dali Lama Or George Carlin or many others who have been said to have composed it.....

Always check when you post letters like this because the true author may not be getting acknowledged.....of course his story is a weird one.....

www.snopes.com...

edit on 30-10-2011 by Starwise because: (no reason given)

edit on 30-10-2011 by Starwise because: (no reason given)

Glad you folks enjoyed the words by a fellow human.

To Starwise:-

I guess success, pride, recognitions, etc are often everyone's child, but failure is an orphan. Many would lay claims to ownership of successes, but none would bother if such successes went unregnised.

I would not dispute who is the rightful owner, since you brought up an alternate claimantship to the poem. I doubt that the long suffering exiled Dalai Lama, a presumed higher evolved human by many of the Buddist faith, would seek for such honours.

What is more important is that the words by a wise fellow human being, is being shared freely, asking for nothing in return, but only for all to ponder upon, which is what this poem is truly about.....

Cheers

A person can move mountains when he/she don't care about recognition or fame. External admiration is not really worth anything if you don't realise your internal worth. True love of self come from within. Hidden you can accomplish anything because others won't notice your manipulation. Manipulation can be both good or bad. Love is the most powerful weapon in the world. Namaste

We have also built engines of great speed, but shut ourselves in.

The machines we make that give us abundance leave us in want.

Indeed, paradox all over.

i absolutely agree, things have gotten pretty bad and it'd be nice.

reply to post by SeekerofTruth101


thanks for sharing!

S+F

reply to post by SeekerofTruth101

That was beautiful man. Thanks for bringing it. I know what it means:
to own it all, and still have nothing.
to have more money and less charity.
to have more mobility, but less freedom.
to have less information and more secrecy.
to have more suspicion, and less privacy.

Dhali Lama is tooo cool. He gets the Nobel Peace Prize of a million dollars and gives it all away to some orphanages. He'd rather meditate...

Well, I personally haven't been to the moon.

I would like to go though.

But really I would be just fine with a trip to Tahiti.

This is very powerful and so true for our times. 

People (especially my age group) seem to wander through life not really caring about anything other than themselves and trying to impress other people by creating a facade on social networking sites. 

I have been happily married for over 10 years and we have 4 kids (yes, actually together lol) I get comments all the time by strangers about how many kids I have and how miserable I must be!  

 I don't have a Facebook. instead I choose to have meaningful relationships with those I care about. 

I may as well be a leper lol

Thanks for posting 

These are exactly why we need a resolution and new way of society that can address the most basic of human nature that this current system has failed to address more of.

We need a society that is founded upon good nature such as respect, peace, love for others and anything else that pertains to good karma and or human nature.

And do away with this AGE OF NEGATIVITY.

Peace

yes, the dalai lama. is it the same guy that flies around the world in private jets, stays at the presidential suite in every city he goes to, and checks time on his gold rolex.

i heard about his message of humility and sacrifice.

Uh, new to ATS, here. And this is actually my first reply on this website. And honestly, this is my new favorite website already.
First off, I don't follow any specific religion. I feel what I am, see, feel, and think is right consciously. I have no beef with any religion, cause it create love and happiness, and that something we need more on this earth, although, I find most religion not a wrong, but a "blind" path. But we all chase we feel what is right, so don't take that to heart. I just see life differently than others.
But yea, I completely understand. And within time, is all, everything. From life, to different types of species, including us humans, nature, earth, the entire never ending universe and beyond. Then, you got everything within. The living breathing soul, our minds, our emotions/feelings, ideas to take you on new paths. We can use our minds to create materialistically, to observe and to see unknown truth or knowledge. Or to even stop in time, to see where we're going or where we're gonna be. To look in the past to search for wrong reasoning and doing, or to travel into the future to create a new pathway for ourselves.
Then you also have the "without life" in life, some believe, some don't, Personally, I do, and my experiences are too apparent to even reason with that question to others. But people need to look at it this way, man didn't create man, nor the earth and the universe. Except a materialistic plane of reality through mind. From a simple thought that was put into action. "God", our "Father", "Creator" or whatever others may call him, she, it, or this infinite source of time, matter and life created the wonderous and euphoric matters in life.
What I'm trying to save is, basically, just to stop in time, and to look within ourselves. Clear out everything, and escape reality for a moment in time. God is everything and all; see, knows, hear, feels, breathes and is connected to every living thing on earth. God is within all and all man, including woMAN. God put his heart, love, soul, compassion into creating this effing mindblowing infinite world of never ending time. To put a piece of his soul into each one of us. God is one, and he created all.
To get deeper into this matter, there is us humans. With the mind to create things, invent, to make people happy, angry, mad, sad or loved. Our mind's aren't just used to this dimension in life, our mind is used to open up, to free itself, to create reality. And our mind body and soul is a connection to God. But people never stop in time to realize this fact cause we all got our heads stuck up in our own asses, or we are caught up in our everyday life's, but hey, its reality. But people need to spare a short moment in each or every other day to connect with God and to free our mind. God created us, just like mother and father created children. We are connected to God just like a child and parent, internally and consciously. And we can connect with others, just like we can connect with God. God created life, we create in reality.
We have the power, to create a new world. To create wonderful and amazing materialistic item and to create emotions within ourselves and one another. To make life free and wonderful, to make life and an amazing and euphoric experience. But that's where everything goes wrong, everyone is sprung on themselves and aren't happy with what they got. Yea, life is #ty at times, but be happy, and create a new and better path. Some people are lucky, and have it easy. Others have it hard and have to bust their asses.
What I'm trying to say is, the majority of the world has no idea what's going on. We're too caught up within the never ending wonders of life within the massive web of life. And we're stuck within our minds, in the wrong way the majority of the time. We're all scared, scared of what's gonna happen next. Or we have a fear of knowing the unknown. Fear creates negativity, and creates an entire world of it's own. But you got Hope, and compassion love and happiness with an entire world of it's own within life. No one know's what's gonna happen next in life, or after death. But we have life for now, and we have our loved ones, and limited "power" to create happiness within us, other, and around. And so does fear.
I'm not claiming man to be God, but man is an offspring of God, so therefore we are "Godly" in some cases, most people consider fame, godly. I'm just saying, the wonders of within life are amazing, all around us. But there are even more amazing wonders without life, an entire new world of its own. And I can go on, and on and on. Like a book of wonders and experiences.
All of this is apparent to me, and I see it all so vividly, and I can see a new world. And I'm not alone, other have noticed, and have connected and been connecting with God for years. All I can say, is to search for God and the answers within.
"As above, so below. As within, so without."
The All are The One, The One is The All"

www.youtube.com...
www.youtube.com...
Just watch and listen. These 2 videos could be your wake up call.
At least spare up to 10 minutes and stop what you're doing, clear your mind, and just watch and listen, that is it.

www.youtube.com...
www.youtube.com...
Just watch and listen. These 2 videos could be your wake up call.
At least spare up to 10 minutes and stop what you're doing, clear your mind, and just watch and listen, that is it.