monkey wrench

“communicational closure” is a given
it is translation all the way down:
I say SOME thing
you hear SOME thing
where SOME is specific to the individual
(shared in a few but not all aspects)

there is a tragic and a comic element to this
but
when someone says something out of insecurity
in essence to please the other (& fill the silence)
and the other
misinterpreting the comment as a challenge of sorts
responds out of insecurity
to save face or maintain/enhance self-image
that’s beyond tragic or comic
it’s just plain absurd
it’s as absurd as it can get

you say X and they say X’
where X is but a superfluous crutch
deployed to cope with the threat of potential rejection
or being in some way negatively judged
which (the specter of judgment) is called into being
by the very (f)act of (needing to) saying X to begin with

this is pure absurdity
we keep throwing wrenches in the machine
in order to keep it functioning smooth