It’s the “exactly” part that gets you. What I hadn’t learned yet is that playing well with others isn’t about imitation. Imitation is rote and void of nuance or context. No, social success is about improvisation. Spontaneity within certain, unspoken boundaries. Break the rules in any other direction, and you will be called out. Fast. Upset the apple cart of social homeostasis, and nobody cares what you have to say. They’ll be too busy paying attention to the way you’ve said it to listen.
