It was a normal day at the Nebulous office. The man who worked the front desk sat with a large
teeth-bearing smile as five people entered the lobby and approached him. After confirming their
company’s identity, InDiscern, the man escorted the group up a set of stairs and through a
labyrinth of hallways. They passed tables, desks, and offices occupied by Nebulous employees,
their heads all positioned in a similar way, staring forward at a screen or piece of paper,
necks stiff and tilted at about a 45-degree angle. In an effort to be liked, the man from the front
lobby asked the incoming guests questions about their travels and familiarity with the area.
As the group answered, the man from the front lobby, still holding his smile tightly in place,
proceeded to ask the same series of questions he asked every person or group in this scenario.
Eventually, they reached a large conference room at the end of a long hallway. Inside, there
sat other men and women, all sitting with rigid necks and straight postures to match their faces,
talking discretely without any apparent body motions or gestures. The man from the front
lobby knocked on the room’s slightly ajar door, and all the men and women in the room turned their
heads in synchronization. The man from the front lobby introduced the group of guests to the group
in the room, and then, in an almost ethereal manner, quickly and discretely disappeared
back down the hallway, the original curl of his smile now inverted into a sort of droop.
With big, fervent smiles showing various amounts of teeth, the Nebulous group in the room
stood up and welcomed in the InDiscern group. With nearly the same exact motion, speed, and firmness,
they all shook hands, executing a methodical degree of force in an
effort to show both confidents and compassion and achieve the optimal first impression.
In an effort to be liked, one of the men made a joke while introducing himself. It wasn’t
entirely clear what the punchline was, but in an effort to be liked, all the others in the room
laughed profusely. A woman apart of the InDiscern group being introduced made a joke back. No one
in the room found this joke to be particularly funny either, but the extreme laughter picked
back up until, in an almost instant, it cut out completely. Still smiling tightly
as if deadlifting their cheeks, each man and woman sat down at the large ovular table in the room.
The meeting commenced, and everyone said something even if they had nothing to say.
When each person spoke, they spoke carefully and methodically according to their particular role
and rank, analyzing the consensus and direction of the conversation and sharing their statements and
opinions accordingly—just enough to appear uniquely capable of confident, independent
thinking, while not so much so to risk appearing more capable or a threat to their superiors.
Just before the meeting ended, one of the Nebulous men offered for the InDiscern group to join them
all for dinner. In an effort to be liked and maintain good relations, in sync, the group
agreed enthusiastically, although they were all very tired and eager to return to their hotel.
At dinner, the whole group shared witticisms and opinions about pop-culture,
current events, and entertainment, as well as other nonspecific work and personal life anecdotes
modified and embellished to ensure favorable and interesting appearances—all of which, opinions
and anecdotes included, everyone seemed to share and agree with. A young waitress served the group,
and in an effort to be liked, was careful to maintain a bright-bubbly personality, engaging
and reciprocating in the group’s humor and banter, knowing that the men and women’s attire indicated
the prospect of a large tip. Throughout the dinner, the group loudly laughed and huffed
while the banter continued as if there were a TV sitcom laugh track for the show of the restaurant.
None of the men and women were having a good time. No one was particularly fond of anyone else,
both between and within each group, each persons’ effort to be liked preoccupying their own
head sufficiently enough to keep everyone from being able to really know and like anyone else.
In each moment, each person was trading the individuality of self for the preservation
of self, and in doing so, no one knew anyone. In this world, it only mattered that the self fit,
not that the self was real.
By the end of the dinner, everyone was extremely tired, intensely desiring to return
to their hotel or home. Following dinner, everyone stayed for several more drinks.
After the outing finally concluded, each man and woman returned to their home or hotel room.
They slouched, watching different forms of media on their TV,
phone, or laptop, nervously anticipating the next day in which they would again continue
to work to preserve the self so that they could remain the winners they dreamt to be.