1. Yes. 2. It depends on who they are.


Baudrillard would agree, and I certainly think it's a sign of an increasingly materialistic society that so many people measure their identity and worth by what they own. What car they drive isn't merely a tool of transportation, but a status symbol, something which indicates where they are on the hierarchy of vapid yuppies. But there are also many who value instead things like family and integrity, and who are unimpressed by the material possessions or the supposed statuses of others. So ... not everyone drank the kool-aid.


I'm not really interested in bonding. Someone bonding with me is simply a consequence of us spending time together and getting to know each other on a more personal level. I do very much like hanging out with people and getting to know them. I just don't bond with them. Apparently people think this is callous for some reason.


Yeah, so my plan has been to stop pretending, and instead be open about the fact that I don't feel emotionally connected to people. If they want to continue hanging out with me despite this, then great. I can be myself (to an extent) when I'm around them. And if they act all shocked and offended by my seeming callousness, I can be all like, "*****, I told you."


Yeah, I've enjoyed my life thus far without having bonded with anyone. My problem is that they bond with me, and then expect me to return the favor. And maybe being considerate of others feelings isn't a very psychopathic thing to attempt, but it would make my life a-helluva-lot easier if they understood where I was coming from.