She ordered a cup of tea, which proved excessively bad, and this gave her a sense that she was suffering in a… — Henry James

Young men of this class never do anything for themselves that they can get other people to do for them, and it is the infatuation, the devotion, the superstition of others that keeps them going. These others in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred are women.

Don't undervalue irony; it is often of great use.