As I get older and hopefully wiser I begin to see life and people in a very different light. Sometimes it reminds me of Goffman and his theories on agency. I wonder if some of the people around me merely want me in their lives so that they feel better about theirs. Do they really listen to what they say and does how they come across with the performances they put on actually say more about them than they actually reveal? Are they putting a performance on for my benefit or their own? What insecurities and personal demons lie beneath their performances? I think it's time I started listening to some of the new people in my life and take less notice of those that have been there a long time but have hidden agendas I suspect.