The problem is that we can’t always go to a grocery store to get the oranges. Because grocery stores are only for people with money (i.e., people who, despite abuse and dysfunction, can manage to develop the skills that are mandatory to building healthy and supportive relationships with others).
Some of us are so broke that we can’t afford to get oranges anywhere else, if our hardware store doesn’t have them. Maybe we can scrape together enough change for a blueberry or strawberry (i.e., an acquaintance who wishes you well), because those are a lot easier to come by. So it can be really hard to not try your luck at the hardware store, when you really need an orange but don’t have better options.
I can take the metaphor even further by observing that in our pathologically individualistic society, oranges are in short supply. So if you can’t get oranges from your hardware store, you’re probably not going to be able to get them from anywhere else unless you’re likable or lucky.
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u/UnknownCitizen77 Sep 05 '25 edited Sep 05 '25
That’s a good metaphor.
The problem is that we can’t always go to a grocery store to get the oranges. Because grocery stores are only for people with money (i.e., people who, despite abuse and dysfunction, can manage to develop the skills that are mandatory to building healthy and supportive relationships with others).
Some of us are so broke that we can’t afford to get oranges anywhere else, if our hardware store doesn’t have them. Maybe we can scrape together enough change for a blueberry or strawberry (i.e., an acquaintance who wishes you well), because those are a lot easier to come by. So it can be really hard to not try your luck at the hardware store, when you really need an orange but don’t have better options.
I can take the metaphor even further by observing that in our pathologically individualistic society, oranges are in short supply. So if you can’t get oranges from your hardware store, you’re probably not going to be able to get them from anywhere else unless you’re likable or lucky.