The sound of shutters going up around her mind, armored against anything short of a nuke, was very nearly audible in the room. - John Brunner

So not only the world, but he himself, was different from what he had imagined.

It's not because my mind is made up that I don't want you to confuse me with any more facts. It's because my mind isn't made up. I already have more facts than I can cope with.

One might as well claim that the tide which rubs pebbles smooth on a beach is doing the pebbles a service because being round is prettier than being jagged. It's of no concern to a pebble what shape it is. But it's very important to a person.