Jerry's Marginalia – Dislike Isn't Hate
There comes a point in life where you realize something important.
You don't have to like everyone.
You don't have to agree with everyone.
And you certainly don't have to carry everyone's problems on your back.
That isn't hatred.
That's boundaries.
I may be a dick to you.
You may be a dick to me.
That doesn't automatically make either of us evil.
One bad encounter shouldn't convince you that the whole world is rotten.
There are good people out there.
Your job isn't to trust everyone.
Your job is to learn the difference.
Discern who deserves your time.
Discern who deserves your effort.
Discern who deserves your patience.
And if something consistently costs you your peace, your time, your money, or your energy...
...let it go.
Not because you're giving up.
Because you're investing in yourself.
Dislike isn't hate.
Patience isn't weakness.
Boundaries aren't cruelty.
Sometimes the strongest thing you can say is:
"I'm not getting involved."
Not every fight needs another soldier.
Not every side quest deserves to become your main story.
Some quests exist only to consume you.
Decline them.
Go home.
Save your game.
Heal.
Tomorrow will still be there.
Archivist's Note
People think resilience means never getting hit.
No.
Resilience is getting hit enough times that you stop confusing every punch with the end of the fight.
You don't become stone.
You become selective about what deserves your strength.
And perhaps that's the hardest lesson of all.
Not learning how to endure everything...
...but learning what is no longer worth enduring.
— Jerry "The Ankle Biter" Silverhand