Why the fear of rejection turns a resource assessment into a verdict, and how the most capable people hide the gap from themselves

You go to work. You answer the messages. You make the meals. You keep the calendar. You smile when someone takes your picture. You say you are fine, and the word leaves your mouth before you have to think about whether you mean it. On the outside, your life looks exactly like it is supposed to. This is what I want to talk to you about this month. I want to talk about apathy the way I have come to understand it after years of sitting with people who look fine and feel hollow.