My visit to the dentist last week, for example, was far superior to my childhood visits. As a child, the mere sight of the dentist chair would cause me to break out in a cold sweat, as I anticipated my forthcoming encounter with the battery of gleaming instruments seemingly designed for the principal purpose of causing excruciating pain.
因为取得了显著进步，就连看似平淡无奇的活动也可以——而且应该带来很多幸福。比方说我上周去看牙医就比童年时的经历好了许多。童年时只要想到即将与闪闪发光的牙医工具亲密接触甚至仅仅看到牙医治疗椅都会让我冷汗直流。这些工具的主要目的似乎就是带来难以忍受的疼痛。相比之下，这一次的经历非常简单，甚至可以用舒适来形容。