My late pops used to tell me that 2000 years ago the man’s rite of passage was gathering the courage to pick up a weapon and killing something with it. Now the modern man’s rite is to build a circle of social and business connections. Some are born with the capacity, others will have to take a deep breath and push through it.

1

Business connections are fine. Ive got no problem interacting with others in a business or work capacity, the pretext of it being for something beneficial keeps things scripted and professional. Thats easy enough. It’s just talking with new people, or when someone ive never met wants to be my friend, and i shut it down because i feel like i talk like an idiot and i dont wanna get found out. Shits lonely, i cant lie. But i cant stop myself.

1