Reading

“Progress may, perhaps, be perceived by historians; it can never be felt by those actually involved in the supposed advance. The young are born into the advancing circumstances, the old take them for granted within a few months or years. Advances aren’t felt as advances. There is no gratitude—only irritation if, for any reason, the newly invented conveniences break down. Men don’t spend their time thanking God for cars; they only curse when the carburettor is choked.”

• Aldous Huxley, Eyeless in Gaza (1936)

“A sentence that he delivered unalterably each morning as part of his new litany was: ‘You make a big effort and we will make a big effort.’ One morning, he dropped the adjective, saying that America should make a big effort and that he would reciprocate with an effort. As a way of breaking the monotony, I called his attention to the omission. ‘I am so glad you noticed it,’ said my imperturbable interlocutor. ‘But yesterday we made a big effort and you only made an effort. So today we reverse the procedure: you have to make a big effort and we shall only make an effort.’”

• Henry Kissinger, Diplomacy (1994)