Pithy Words

An Easy Essay

by Peter Maurin

The world would be better off
if people tried
to become better,

And people would
become better
if they stopped trying
to be better off.

For when everyone tries
to become better off
nobody is better off.

But when everyone tries
to become better
everyone is better off.

Everybody would be rich
if nobody tried
to become richer.

And nobody would be poor
if everybody tried
to be the poorest

And everybody would be
what he ought to be
if everybody tried to be
what he wants
the other fellow to be.

----------------------------------

Peter Maurin, along with Dorothy Day, founded the Catholic Worker movement in 1933. We have great esteem for this movement, which continues to flourish. There are many Web sites that can tell you more -- our favorite is the Houston Catholic Worker site.

---

If you have reactions to Maurin's words, tell The Progress Report:

Your name

Your email address

Check this box if you'd like to receive occasional Economic Justice Updates via email. No more than one every three weeks on average.

---

Page One	Page Two	Archive
Discussion Room	Letters	What's Geoism?

---

---