I am inching my way through “Surprised by Hope” and came across this quote about the myth of progress over time.

“Many people, particularly politicians and secular commentators in the press and elsewhere, still live by this myth, appeal to it, and encourage us to believe it. Indeed… the demise of serious political discourse consists not least in this, that the politicians are still trying to whip up enthusiasm for their versions of this myth — it’s the only discourse they know, poor things — while the rest of us have moved on.”

If you ever felt sorry for a politician, this might be a good time.