Confronting the Poverty of Satisfaction

I’m home sick with the flu and the thought of writing a cohesive piece is beyond what my foggy mind can comprehend right now. So rather than skipping this week, I figured I’d pass along part of a speech give by Robert Kennedy at the University of Kansas in 1968. It’s always been a favorite of mine and my hope is that you will find the same simple truths in it as I always have.

Enjoy.

Dave

Even if we act to erase material poverty, there is another greater task, it is to confront the poverty of satisfaction–purpose and dignity–that afflicts us all. Too much and for too long, we seemed to have surrendered personal excellence and community values in the mere accumulation of material things.

Our Gross National Product, now, is over $800 billion dollars a year, but that Gross National Product–if we judge the United States of America by that–that Gross National Product counts air pollution and cigarette advertising, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage. It counts special locks for our doors and the jails for the people who break them. It counts the destruction of the redwood and the loss of our natural wonder in chaotic sprawl. It counts napalm and counts nuclear warheads and armored cars for the police to fight the riots in our cities. It counts Whitman’s rifle and Speck’s knife, and the television programs which glorify violence in order to sell toys to our children.

Yet the gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages, the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our learning, neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country, it measures everything in short, except that which makes life worthwhile.

And it can tell us everything about America except why we are proud that we are Americans.

–Robert Kennedy

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Kevin C.

2:44PM PDT on May 25, 2012

You ain't a kidd'n!

send a green star

Marie W.

11:26PM PDT on May 5, 2012

Some countries have happiness/quality of life indices.

ii q.

12:20PM PST on Jan 15, 2012

Robert O.

10:43AM PST on Jan 15, 2012

Thanks.

Emma S.

9:51AM PDT on Oct 27, 2011

Apart from the last line perhaps - as true now as it was then.

Linda S.

6:54AM PDT on Aug 18, 2010

How interesting that so little has changed in respect to America's priorities since 1968. Thank you for sharing - great post!

Jewels S.

5:50PM PDT on Jun 18, 2010

History repeats itself. We have the same problems now but they have not gotten better but worse. I am always glad that I have studied some Buddhism because it taught me how to live in the midst of chaos, crisis and hopelessness without letting it take me down. That JFK sure had a great speech writer.

Angelica P.

6:50PM PDT on Jun 17, 2010

How do we stop society from being so materialistic?

Sue H.

9:04AM PDT on Jun 16, 2010

Thank you. A gentle reminder.

Pam W.

9:20AM PDT on Jun 6, 2010

Thanks, I am so glad I found this article and was able to read these inspiring words from the past that so aptly aply to now.