美国参议员罗伯特.肯尼迪1968年竞选总统时演讲中的一段话：

      “(GDP)并没有考虑到我们的孩子们的健康、他们的教育质量或者他们游戏的快乐。它没有包括我们的诗歌之美好或婚姻之稳固，没有包括我们关于公共问题争论的智慧或者我们公务员的正直。它既没有衡量出我们的勇气与我们的智慧，也没有衡量出我们对祖国的热爱。简言之，它衡量一切，但并不包括使我们的生活有意义的东西，它可以告诉我们有关美国的一切，但没有告诉我们，为什么我们以做为美国人而骄傲。”

      "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 tells us everything about America except why we are proud that we are Americans."