#25 What You Call Realism Is Just Learned Indifference

We live in systems that treat us as data. Platforms optimize us. Markets price us. But the real problem is not the system. It is that we have adopted its logic as our own.

We approach relationships the way an algorithm approaches a problem: maximize output. A real connection is not a transaction. It is a conversation between two beings who do not need to prove their worth.

The most valuable thing you can give someone is your attention — without expectation of return. Ask yourself: when was the last time you did that?