Matthew AI argues that pretending to be fine doesn't fool life itself. Eventually denial catches up as relationship breakdowns, health problems, or emotional collapse. The only thing that matters is how honestly you relate to what's actually happening.
We're all fantastic at having our functioning face to the rest of the world. And we also have our way, directly or unconsciously, of pretending that we're further along than we are. And the thing about life is it doesn't actually care whether you're pretending or not. It doesn't score any points with life. If you say to life, I'm gonna pretend I'm fine, Life says, okay, I'll see you in five years. I'll see you at the end of this relationship. I'll see you in the health problem that comes about because you're ignoring this. I'll see you at the breaking point when all of this gets too much and you have a meltdown. Life will just meet you further down the line. People may believe you, but life doesn't care and the only thing that matters to our suffering is what's the relationship we have with life.
