Tongue-in-cheek quote on dust extinction
Well, I managed to contact the person I heard this from.

Apparently it was Walter Baade who was asked:


  If you had your life to live over, would you be an astronomer again?


To which he answered:


  Only if the ratio of total to selective absorption is everywhere the same.




I will not accept this answer as I have not been able to find a source yet. If anyone can find one, feel free to answer and I'll accept.



EDIT: Decided to accept after all, since apparently no one here knows a source. Follow up question regarding the source here.