Today, we have a different cultural silencing method—the trendy lexicon of “the journey,” which short-circuits any rage or sadness by insisting it was all essential to get you where you are today. That every loss has a silver lining, every misfortune is worth it, even if the ensuing road is a hellscape. America’s idea of comfort is deeply discomfiting. Particularly for assholes like us, who want to feel angry and sad and will never be grateful it happened no matter how many essential oils we sniff.
