I Can’t Get No Satisfaction
Are you satisfied?
by Claire Law
Suitable for Whole School (Sec)
Aims
To explore how we can achieve satisfaction in life.
Preparation and materials
- You will need the PowerPoint slides that accompany this assembly (I Can't Get No Satisfaction) and the means to display them.
- Have available the song ‘(I can’t get no) satisfaction’ by the Rolling Stones and the means to play it at the beginning of the assembly. It is 3.42 minutes long and is available at: https://youtu.be/eUpb-ALfUzc
Assembly
- Play the song ‘(I can’t get no) satisfaction’ by the Rolling Stones (3.42 minutes long).
Show Slide 1.
Welcome to our assembly today. Does anyone know the name of the song and the band who played the music that we heard as we entered the assembly today?
Listen to a range of responses. - The song is by the Rolling Stones and is called ‘(I can’t get no) satisfaction’. It was first released in 1965, almost 60 years ago. One of the sentiments behind the song was a frustration with the messages that advertising promotes, encouraging us to buy more and consume more.
Advertising can work by destroying our satisfaction, encouraging us to think that we need more than we have. The Rolling Stones were reflecting on whether buying more can ever lead to a sense of satisfaction. - So, what does it mean to be satisfied?
Satisfaction is the feeling of ‘enough’: that our needs and wishes have been met, and we no longer hunger for something or someone. It is a feeling of being content, at peace with what we have. Satisfaction means that we’ve had enough, in a good way. - So, how can we experience satisfaction? Humans have been reflecting on this question for a long time, way before the Rolling Stones came along.
Show Slide 2.
During the First World War, the English writer G. K. Chesterton wrote, ‘There are two ways to get enough. One is to continue to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less.’
This quotation reminds us that satisfaction is closely linked to our desires and needs. - Many religious teachings explore the theme of satisfaction.
Show Slide 3.
In the Old Testament part of the Bible, we read, ‘Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labour on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.’ (Isaiah 55.2)
This quotation suggests that worldly things will ultimately leave us feeling unsatisfied. It indicates that true satisfaction comes from being connected to God. - Buddhism teaches that dissatisfaction is a form of suffering for humans. Buddhism encourages people to open their hearts and minds to the world as it is, and to accept things as they are, rather than striving towards having more.
Time for reflection
Let’s take a moment to consider how satisfied we feel in life.
Pause to allow time for thought.
Do you feel content right now?
Pause to allow time for thought.
How much ease do you feel in body and mind?
Pause to allow time for thought.
As you reflect on how satisfied you feel, what do you make of the sentiment expressed by G. K. Chesterton?
Show Slide 2 again.
Do you want to approach satisfaction by consuming more? Or are you drawn to desiring less by being satisfied with what you have?
Pause to allow time for thought.
What do you make of the verse in the Old Testament that encourages us to find a sense of satisfaction through trusting in God?
Show Slide 3 again.
How does this quotation affect you?
Pause to allow time for thought.
Finally, now that you have reflected on these questions, do you feel any more or less content than you felt at the start of our assembly today?
Pause to allow time for thought.
Let us pause to create space for our own silent prayer. We’ll bow our heads and maintain a respectful silence while we pray in our own way. During this minute of silence, may we all feel a sense of satisfaction.
Pause to allow time for silent prayer.
We bring these prayers together, and lay them before God, as we join together and say: Amen.
Song/music
‘(I can’t get no) satisfaction’ by the Rolling Stones, available at: https://youtu.be/eUpb-ALfUzc (3.42 minutes long)
