Tonight I'm Dining Alone..

People are over-rated.

Friendships, relationships, acquiantanceships.. when push comes to shove, at the end of the day, is it ever ever worth it?

People are selfish beings... like Adam Smith said, people do things purely out of self interest. They use you until they have no use for you, then toss you away.

Is there truly a pure friendship? A friendship as in, "I'm your friend solely because I like you and want nothing from you". No, there isn't. Why would you keep someone around that you have no need for? As cynical as it sounds, it doesn't make sense to.

Having friends is tiring and emotionally draining, not only do you have your own problems and work, but you have to have the energy to deal with someone else's. Why on earth would you go through that if you received nothing out of the friendship?

So, after all the drama and spent time, is it, being used, really worth it? Because that's what it boils down to.. two people mutually using each other.

Relationships? Same deal, but it gets even more complicated. It's one person using another to fill a void in their life. They need meaning, companionship, love, someone to love, and they use that person to satisfy those needs.

Relationships are draining, there's always the fear of 'falling out' of love. There is that constant need to prove your love and devotion and the constant craving for some in return. Relationships are even more selfish than friendships, they are insatiable.

Is the pressure and companionship worth being used to fill a hole? Because that's what it boils down to.. two people mutually using each other to fight loneliness.

Acquiantanceships are perhaps the safest option. Nothing is expected from any party involved. You're not expected to return calls, listen to problems, help out, be loyal, or care. No obligations, no expectations. But if they do need the other person, there's no front, no facade of being friends or lovers.. its a straight up 'hey, I need you for this, just this, and then you can get lost'. No emotions to deal with, no favors to return, no pressure.

But What Happens When One User No Longer Needs the Usee?

Somebody gets hurt.

There is never a guarantee that both persons mutually stop needing each other; sometimes, one person still needs the other. But can you honestly expect someone to hang around so you can continue to use them? No. They will out of self interest, as Adam Smith said, go off to find someone who can satisfy their needs that their previous friend or partner could not.

The right thing to do? Let the person go, and allow both of the people involved to move on. People are selfish though, they can't let things go if they feel they can still use them. They'd rather hold the other person down than let the person get on without them.

Selfishness is behind every friendship, relationship, and acquiantanceship. It's behind every action, thought, and desire.

Selfishness is what drives the world forward and pulls individuals backward.

But I guess at the end of the day...if I use you and you use me and we're both aware of us using each other, than its not that bad, is it?