Yeah
They taught me “circle back” before boundaries
Now I turn burnout into boardroom pleasantries
Whole office saying “we family” proudly
Till layoffs hit and suddenly it’s “don’t take this personally”
Damn
I know how the machine talk
“People-first culture” while the team can’t breathe, dog
Every mission statement got fine print hidden
Every “thought leader” just a narcissist with rhythm
And religion ain’t safe either
Pastor got stage lights brighter than believers
Whole sermon sponsored, front row cost extra
God somewhere backstage reading the fine texture
I ain’t anti-faith
I’m anti middleman
Too many wolves learned therapy and Instagram
Too many CEOs quoting Buddha in a podcast
Whole time interns having panic attacks off-cam
And me?
I could sell smoke to a stoner
Make a cage feel curated with the right owner
Soft lighting, clean font, earth-tone brochure
Now the exploitation feel wellness-adjacent and cultured
That’s the scary part
Cause I know how to package pain pretty
Turn anxiety into a “LinkedIn-worthy journey”
Turn “barely surviving” into “grateful and busy”
Everybody dying aesthetic now, isn’t it?
Woo
Every movement turn merch eventually
Every rebel get a TED Talk mentally
Every “safe space” got a brand identity
Every “community” just a mailing list with better energy
And maybe that’s why I want old streets in Lisbon
Wine with no phones at the table when we sit down
Conversations that don’t end in conversions
No networking, no optics, no personal brand version
Cause truth don’t need buzzwords
Truth don’t say “synergy” every third word
Truth look messy
Truth don’t monetize healing
Truth don’t need an algorithm to make it feel meaningful
But the machine do
Machine need metrics
Need humans compressed into digestible sections
Need creatives too tired to ask questions
Like why every “dream job” feel spiritually expensive?
See I don’t hate structure
I hate theater
Hate when a soul become a KPI creature
Hate when art start sounding like legal procedure
Cause somebody in finance got nervous about freedom
And once you see behind the curtain
Every polished institution start looking uncertain
Church, corporate, politics, influencer sermons
Same suit, different logo on the person
Still
I believe people good deep down
Just don’t trust systems that need us small to keep crowns.
hewenttojareds
