55 Quotes by Hugh Mackay

Recounting their histories, people often sound like interested bystanders to their own lives.

Some researchers sensibly suggest that rather than worrying too much about which programs our children are watching, we should concentrate on trying to reduce the total amount of time they spend in front of the screen.

So let's not get carried away by hubris: Australians are no better than anyone else when it comes to occupation of the moral high ground.

Frankly, I'm more worried about the violence we do to ourselves and our children by allowing the media to create an expectation of instant gratification.

Even more worrying is the violence we do to our personal relationships when we let media consume time we might otherwise spend with each other.

Far more people have enjoyed Jane Austen's work on television than will ever read her books.

Despite the availability of cheap and effective contraception, it looks as if we are not as careful in our decisions about reproduction as all the talk of family planning might suggest.

Yet in our enthusiasm for the idea that everyone should be able to read and write fluently, we may be missing a crucial point: in today's culture, finely honed literacy skills are simply not as important as they once were.

With increasing frequency and growing vehemence, you hear people saying they are ashamed to be Australians.