10/07/2026
You can be rich, successful, powerful, popular - whatever. You can still walk into a room and wonder, “Why am I even here?”
“Why did you invite me if you weren't going to talk to me?” = host failure.
“Who am I supposed to talk to?” = social uncertainty or lack of a social entry point.
“That interaction was awkward.” = social discomfort/social friction
“Nobody has talked to me all night.” = social isolation
“Everyone already knows each other.” = clique/closed-network problem/perceived exclusion
“I’m not one of these people.” = lack of belonging/identity threat.
“I’m hiding on my phone.” = coping behaviour.
“I want to leave.” = the event has already lost them.
Sitting on the sidelines because the event is organized in a way that excludes you = structural exclusion
A room can be full and still have a lot of people wondering why they’re there. Maybe you are them.
That's because belonging isn't the same thing as access, status or attention.
You can have enormous access and still not feel included.
You can have enormous status and still feel rejected.
You can receive enormous attention and still not feel known.
You can be surrounded by people and still not feel connected to any of them.
Live events make this visible.
Put 300 people into a beautiful ballroom and zoom in.
Are you trying to enter a closed conversation circle?
Pretending to look at your phone?
Did you come because your spouse wanted you to go?
Are you dressed correctly?
You know everyone but don't actually feel close to anybody.
You're the CEO and wondering whether people are talking to you because they like you or because you're the CEO.
And 10 ft away somebody is having the fu***ng time of their life.
Same room. Completely different event.
Human needs don't disappear when your circumstances improve.
You don't become too successful to experience rejection.
You don't become too wealthy to feel awkward.
You don't become too powerful to want genuine friendship.
You don't become too sophisticated to want somebody to look across the room and be genuinely happy that you came.
No matter who you are, you still want somebody to be happy you're there.
