1. “The Paradox of Our Time”
GEORGE CARLIN DID NOT WRITE THIS:
“The Paradox of Our Time” (a.k.a. “The Paradox of Our Age”)
The paradox of our time in history 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 it less. We have bigger houses and 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 medicine, but less wellness. We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too seldom, 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 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 done larger things, but not better things. We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We’ve split 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 have less communication.
These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion; 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 days of two incomes, but more divorce; of fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throw-away morality, one-night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer to quiet, to kill. 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 share this insight, or to just hit delete.
The actual author is pastor Bob Moorehead. It’s taken from his book “Words Aptly Spoken” (1995). By the way, Moorehead quit his church in 1998 after being accused of sexually fondling male members of the congregation. The essay has also been misattributed to an unnamed Columbine High School student, the Dalai Lama, and several other people over the years.
Like most mass-forwarded internet essays, there have been different edited versions of this, but the bottom line is that George Carlin did not write this. In fact, Carlin explicitly condemned it in 2001, saying:
“One of the more embarrassing items [attributed to me] making the internet/e-mail rounds is a sappy load of shit called “The Paradox of our time.” The main problem I have with it is that as true as some of the expressed sentiments may be, who really gives a shit? Certainly not me. I figured out years ago that the human species is totally fucked and has been for a long time. I also know that the sick, media-consumer culture in America continues to make this so-called problem worse. But the trick, folks, is not to give a fuck. Like me. I really don’t care. I stopped worrying about all this temporal bullshit a long time ago. It’s meaningless. (See the preface of “Brain Droppings (1997).”)
Another problem I have with “Paradox” is that the ideas are all expressed in a sort of pseudo-spiritual, New-Age-y, “Gee-whiz-can’t-we-do-better-than-this” tone of voice. It’s not only bad prose and poetry, it’s weak philosophy. I hope I never sound like that.
1.1. Links
Goodreads.com is full of many, many bogus Carlin quotes. In fact, many falsely attribute quotes in general. They eventually added a “Misattributed to George Carlin” tag, but last I checked nobody was using it.
Read an archived copy of Carlin’s own statement from his official website in 2001.