adjustments Quotes

“But a frantic inspection of the boys’ department revealed no suits to fit the new-born Button. He blamed the store, of course – in such cases it is the thing to blame the store.”

“I won’t be a carer any more come the end of the year, and though I’ve got a lot out of it, I have to admit I’ll welcome the chance to rest—to stop and think and remember. I’m sure it’s at least partly to do with that, to do with preparing for the change of pace, that I’ve been getting this urge to order all these old memories.”

“The fool tries to adjust the truth so he does not have to adjust to it.”

“Hollowness: that I understand. I’m starting to believe that there isn’t anything you can do to fix it. That’s what I’ve taken from the therapy sessions: the holes in your life are permanent. You have to grow around them, like tree roots around concrete; you mold yourself through the gaps.”

“It was the first time I had lived among other Japanese, or gone to school with them, and I was terrified all the time.”

“We woke early, shivering and coated with dust that had blown up through the knotholes and in through the slits around the doorway. During the night Mama had unpacked all our clothes and heaped them on our beds for warmth.”

“My mind was already in revolution; my guesses and impressions were slipping and sliding to a new adjustment . . . And very vaguely there came a suggestion towards the solution of the economic problem that had puzzled me.”

“One time I woke up to him grabbing my arm with both of his hands. One hand was on the forearm and one just slightly above my elbow. He was sound asleep and appeared to be ready to snap my arm in half, I stayed as still as possible and kept repeating his name, getting louder each time so as not to startle him, but also to stop the impending damage to my arm. Finally, he woke and let go. Slowly, we settled into some new habits, and adjusted.”

“Horror he had adjusted to. But monotony was the greater obstacle, and he realized it now, understood it at long last.”

“I can understand how the limited perspective of an unartificial mind might perceive it that way. You’ll get used to it.”

“Walking upright has its downside. The skeleton of our primate ancestors developed . . . to support a creature that walked on all fours and had a relatively small head. Adjusting to an upright position was quite a challenge, especially when the scaffolding had to support an extra-large cranium.”

“The old Eskimos were scientists too. By using the plants, animals, and temperature, they had changed the harsh Arctic into a home, a feat as incredible as sending rockets to the moon. […] They had been wise. They had adjusted to nature instead of to man-made gadgets.”