For seven hours we talked. We shut down the coffee shop before meandering to the park; before walking in mutually-rapt attention to a bar where we sipped on drinks incidentally until the barkeep hoisted stools. Topics continued to unfurl at a house: activism, quantum physics, writing, sociology. Five a.m., laughing at the twelve engaged, interested hours that had passed. A uniquely powerful universe exists between two creatures who love each others' minds.
The positive feelings resulting from this connection - mutual appreciation, elevated curiosity - pierced through the dark drag of a series of one-off meetings in which my words fluttered to the floor, piling at the feet of each conversation partner.
These feelings electrified my spirit: my motivation, my ability to focus on meaningful work, my desire to improve. Like the world's inhospitability was reduced by a few clicks. A high-value connection.
How many positive feelings and creations do we miss out on because we are surrounded by one or multiple low-value connections? Because we spend time and energy on interactions that bore and empty us?
Those of us actively seeking high-value connections and have the privileges to do so, we seek out people every day with the goal of discovering or creating connections based in intellectual appreciation, creative exploration and entanglement and (sometimes) sexual collaboration. As many of those as possible, as deeply as possible.
What are the ramifications of repeatedly creating low-value connections? Depression from a pervasive and deep feeling of abandonment from someone you've never met.
Unmet needs personified.
What revolutionary work is possible if we are to surround ourselves with high-value connections only? Interact with people who verbally admire our character, engage in teamwork projects (like cooking dinner) with a sense of delight, engage in nuance with a mutual belief in the other's intelligence?
Revolution itself, this author claims.