Chullin 94 · Beginner voice, Standard

Hook

Have you ever sent a text message that said, "We absolutely must get together for coffee soon!" to an old acquaintance, while secretly hoping with every fiber of your being that they are far too busy to actually accept? Or have you ever warmly accepted effusive praise for a "thoughtful" birthday gift that you actually just grabbed from your closet at the very last second, blowing off a thin layer of dust before handing it over?

We have all been there. We tell ourselves these little social dances are harmless. In fact, we might even convince ourselves that they are polite, gentle, and necessary for keeping the peace. We think we are sparing other people's feelings, or perhaps we are just trying to build a little social capital without doing any actual heavy lifting. After all, who is getting hurt? No one is losing money, no one is getting physically injured, and everyone leaves the interaction feeling temporarily warm and fuzzy.