The More Things Change, the More they Don’t

The Paradox of Our Time – An Essay by George Carlin

I came across George Carlin’s essay, ‘The Paradox of our Time’, many years ago when someone gave a copy to my then boss. We had it pinned up for a while and then I don’t know what happened to it. Today, I was going through piles of books, folders and notes in a room I am redecorating with my daughter and found it tucked away in a non-descript binder.

Carlin wrote this piece in 1990 and it is as relevant today as it was then. Perhaps more so. It is always sobering to read something that was written decades ago and realize that humanity as a whole has not fully woken up to the soul-crushing trajectory we are on. Undoubtedly there are pockets of individuals who have awakened and have chosen to take a different, more enlightened path, which fills me with hope.

What I notice around me is that these angels of transformation are everywhere, quietly going about their lives touching the lives of others with a little of their magic. The type of magic, mind you, that is within all of us if we only dared to believe we each have a part to play in the healing of our world.

Here is what George Carlin had to say in 1990:

‘The paradox of our time 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 less.

We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences but less time; we have more degrees but less sense; more knowledge but less judgement; more experts yet 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, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, 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 done larger things but not better 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. These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character.

Remember to say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person will soon grow up and leave your side. Remember to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart, and it doesn’t cost a cent.

Remember to say ‘I love you’ to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you. Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, time to speak, give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.’

While it is easy to take the route of cynicism and hopelessness when faced with Carlin’s potent observations, I believe there is always a splinter of light beckoning us to have faith in our ability to make a difference, no matter how small. When you think about what it is you yourself would like to have more of in your life, it’s probably not more possessions. We all want to be seen and heard; we all crave real connection with others, and we all want to feel like we matter.

I know deep in my soul that you, my friend, matter more than you know. It’s time to embrace that truth, even if it’s a little at a time. The world does not need grand gestures, it needs us to give time to love, time to speak and time to share.