Maybe this is more of a slow burn but one night I had this realization that one of my best friends, who I consider a brother even today, changed for the worse. He was always someone who liked to understand multiple perspectives on any given topic, it was one of the few major ideals we shared and bonded over. The realization was that he eventually just did not give any form of love or consideration for my own perspective on anything, anymore. It felt like he grew resentment over something I had no knowledge or control over. He didn’t even have the tiniest bit of courage to tell me anything.

I had enough when he was discussing Israel and Palestine with a mutual friend. It was nothing about suffering, conflict, death, what actions we may take, or even a simple condemnation. He had no sympathy for Palestinians. Nah, he only wanted to talk about how performative it was that people care and extended that to every single “culture war” topic. He didn’t care about anything. He only wanted to criticize.

I’ve never felt the distinction between “political” and “personal” hypocrisy be full of contrast, yet turn out to be one in the same here.

I still cry thinking about this. I hate it.