when I was a med student, I loved palliative care. being there for patients at the end of their lives was so meaningful. I would spend a lot of time talking to my patients about the meaning of life. I loved learning from their stories and if I sensed they wanted to talk about it I’d ask them if they had any regrets. it was almost always along the lines of wishing they cared less about external validation and spending more time with the people they loved. I loved hearing that.
but one day I asked about any regrets and got a confession so vile I stopped asking the question entirely. I’m still really grateful for my privileged position in people’s lives, but sometimes it is an info hazard.
the older you get the more you realize how dangerous it is to know this much about the lives of strangers.
i often can’t believe how many ppl are just constantly plugged into para social drama where they spend their time effectively absorbing relationships, tragedies, opinions, fights, successes, illnesses, & anxieties of thousands of ppl that they will never meet like influencers. not only that but they’re taking advice from & formulating opinions through these ppl. this is nuts.
i don’t follow any influencers & very few ppl in my life that are close to me know any sort of intimate details. & i resist knowing things about ppl i don’t know. i suspect that’s the way it should be.
my best friends are musicians and artists who just performed at paris fashion week with Interlace: a full concert while painting a designer dress live. they're back in LA this fall with openings to perform in SF. DM if you want to be connected :)