Started off thinking this whole “side pieces are winning partners” idea sounded sketchy as hell. But curiosity got me – figured I’d test it in the real world like some messed-up social experiment. Grabbed my notebook, downed some coffee, and hit the streets pretending this was some anthropology project.
The Setup Phase
First truth was “attention multipliers beat attention monopolizers”. Translation? Stop being a needy bitch. So I deliberately ghosted my regular Saturday hiking buddies for a month. Made plans last minute. Flaked twice. Shockingly – those bastards started texting ME more. Even planned a surprise BBQ when I finally showed up. Honestly felt dirty manipulating friends like that but hell… it worked.
Second rule: “drama-free zones create addiction”. Tested this with my tinder matches. Normally vent about work stress or ex drama. This time? Pure golden retriever energy. Just sent sunset pics and “damn that burrito was 🔥” texts for three weeks straight. Watched them slowly morph into therapists trying to dig up my trauma. Creepy how hungry people get when you don’t feed their drama llamas.
The Weird Realizations
- Truth three – “availability is poison”. Stupid simple. Started leaving group chats “accidentally”. Took 8 hours to reply even when bored af staring at their message. Felt artificial but holy shit – had three separate people double-texting “you good??” by week two
- Fourth one stung – “emotional promiscuity pays better than loyalty”. Brutal. Tested by asking five friends the exact same deep question at once. Played each response like they were the only ones I asked. Watched them preen like proud little birds. Felt like selling snake oil with emojis.
- Last truth made me feel greasy – “exit plans beat lifetime guarantees”. Dropped casual “thinking about teaching in Vietnam next year” comments during deep convos. Instant panic in their eyes. Started getting midnight “remember that time we…” nostalgia texts. Fucking terrifying how scarcity manipulates humans.
The Aftermath
Conclusion after two months of this psychological warfare? Yeah side pieces “win” in terms of surface-level attention. But constantly juggling manufactured distance just made me feel like a circus seal balancing bullshit. Real connections flattened into transactional bullshit. Got more invites? Sure. Felt like selling pieces of my soul for cheap validation? Absolutely. Still use truth number two when my mom calls though – sorry ma, that “burrito was 🔥” text works miracles.
