It’s heartbreaking for me to read so many Medium articles on the topic of sex that show just how much confusion and pain the Standard US Model of Life inflicts on far too many people far too much of the time. I’m grateful I didn’t visit the USA until I was in my early twenties, by which time I could see that its attitudes towards human relationships are utterly dysfunctional. And I’m equally glad both of my children are receiving their tertiary education in societies less scarred by peasant mythologies.

Those who strive for modes of living that are more adequate for their personal needs are usually those who are braver, more thoughtful, and also perhaps more in pain than the vast majority who go through existence never questioning why (or even noticing that) they lead “lives of quiet desperation.” Diverging from the horde is not an easy path to take but it’s essential if we want to learn and grow and thrive.