In the past two centuries, fossil capitalism has made us wealthier, healthier, safer and more informed than ever.

Now, however, this driver of progress has begun to cause our demise, making us feel cynical, or powerless.

Our world is better off now than at any point in human history, but at the same time things have never been worse.

The source of our progress has become the source of our downfall.

Things are too good for us to change it all, yet too bad for us to leave anything as it is.

The great paradox of our time: everything is both better and worse than ever before

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

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 have learned how to make a living, but not a life.

We have added years to life, not life to years.

We have been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor.

We have conquered outer space, but not inner space.

We have done larger things, but not better things.

We have cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.

We have split the atom, but not our prejudice.

We have learned to rush, but not to wait.

We plan more, but accomplish less.

We write more, but learn less.

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.