Science, you say? Well, yes, science indeed.

The titles of these articles typically describe where the article begins, but it rarely determines where the article will end. This is common among articles because thoughts must weave their way through the process of being thought and then out a ways to the tangentially related concepts and somehow, if possible, find their way home to the original concepts. That's just science.

Relationships can get complicated when multiple layers of the friendship exist. How do we determine if the friendship has too many layers? I can't give a definitive answer on this concept, but we can attempt a description. If only for the sake of illustration, and not an exhaustive, comprehensive answer, we may provide such descriptors to the ideas.

Get to the point already, I say to myself. We're dancing around with pseudo-definitions.

The people we surround ourselves with can make or break the future we build for ourselves. In business and in life, we are constantly meeting new people. These people are folded into the fabric of our lives. We can have them for but a moment, or they may continue and add to the pattern being brought forth. It is also quite a difficult task to determine who will stay and who will go. But, no matter. We cannot be so wrapped up in the thought that we miss the daily happenings.

This brings to mind a recent concert I attended (not sure how much we can call these concerts, but that's not the point here). People stared at their phones instead of the stage. This phenomenon is not new, nor is it unexpected. There is a culture of capture surrounding us. Capturing moments on film and enjoying them another time is oddly more important than the original event. I have only 1 video from that night, and it's because I saw some cool shit that I'd never seen before. The memory lives in my mind, and it has not been shared on the social media outlets.

This social media stuff, there's a lot to say about that. It has become the official news outlet for many, and it has become the life of many. Is this good, bad, something, or what not? I will not attempt to sway your opinions on this matter, convincing is not the aim here. I will share my thoughts, and you can take or leave them.

This social media stuff has become a center point of life. It is the way the majority of people connect with other people these days. These connections feel shallow to me. If I have never met a person, how do they become a part of my life? Memories and communications are the necessary components of a lasting friendship. We make memories with time in proximity together through events that stand out as memorable. Shared experiences are required here. Communication creates opportunity for us to share thoughts and ideas. These moments draw us near to the other. The time is a direct proportion to the strength of the relationship. How much time does this person take in my life?

This measure of time could be in good scenarios, and it can be in the bad. Bad relationships grow just the same as good relationships. Do not be deceived into thinking that not liking something is strong enough of a reason to prevent the effects of the time-relationship equation. Good grows as bad grows. Take the time to make the choice. Which relationships will get the time, which ones will you grow?

We can stop here with this conclusion. Relationships are fostered by time. The persons we spend the most time with become the people we are connected to. The threads binding us together do not discern between the good and the bad. Those are just made-up concepts that take on meaning from our own views. Not really our own views because the views are just inherited from our past unless shined upon with self-reflective light.

Audit. Choose. Live in accordance with your own values. That's just science.

This is Learning Made Hard.