Stephen Dubner

The first time that you were recommended a book on Amazon based on a previous book, you thought, wait, what's that?

Or on Netflix, watch this, you like that.

And then the second time you thought, oh, that's kind of either weird, creepy, wonderful.

And then the third time you're like, that's what it is.

And that's the way all technologies are.

This is something tangent, but when you get used to things quickly, what the psychologists call habituation, that can be a bad thing too.

Because you start to lack gratitude for things that are prima facie awesome.

I can go pretty much anywhere I want in this country, turn on the faucet and drink it.

That wasn't a hundred years ago.

You're a terrible father.

Before I'd live in a mansion without an indoor toilet.

You can't ruin that fantasy.

That's really cruel.

Because now they're going to be thinking about

Well, those dresses aren't very outhouse compatible.

Well, we know those dresses were filthy.

I'm becoming very uncomfortable.

The trend is good, but it's not everywhere.

I feel like we always do this.

We whip out the prosperity chart and say, you see, things are getting better, but there's still so much anger and suffering and frustration.