This post will be available for free on September 12, 2025. Last week’s chapter, “Hospitals,” is now free for all readers.
If I had a nickel for every time I screwed up I wouldn’t have a paywall on this Substack.
Perfection is unattainable, as much as we rage against it. So as we seek to alleviate our friends’ pain, we may unintentionally cause some in the process. These errors can unleash a torrent of emotions like guilt, anger, and resentment. They can make you not want to try to help at all. Under normal circumstances, patching things up can take a lot of patience. When your friend is suffering due to an unrelated event, it can take forever.
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