His unstirred soul hardened like concrete.

I have noticed two strange and juxtaposed behavioral phenomena in recent times. There seems to be a growing number of people who have no reign over their own emotions. Some of that might be performative cries either for help or for clicks and engagement. Some of it might be the growing mental health crisis. There seems to be less shame in having a public breakdown than there once was.

On the other hand though, I also notice the opposite. There also seems to be a growing number of people who seem almost like NPCs within the simulation everyone else lives in. I’m just inherently distrustful of someone who I’ve never seen or heard go on any kind of a rant. This isn’t stoicism, either. It’s palpable emptiness that feels from the outside like interacting with a hypnotized person. If you ask this type of person what they’re passionate about, you’re likely to be met with a confused response.

I don’t know what it all means. My working theory is that we are all born with a flame of some passion inside of us. Some people perhaps let their flame grow wild and it burns them up. Others perhaps snuff theirs out.