psychology

Sisters, on abs.

Delilah: You seem slightly flattened.

Cecily: Flattened how? Empty? Somebody told me that the other day. I think I’m waiting for something exciting to happen and ruining other people’s exciting lives in the process. This is because I am a heartless succubus that enjoys sucking the life out of others for my personal pleasure.

Delilah: Jesus, I was just talking about your abs.

Cecily: How can you see my abs?

Delilah: That was a joke; a line to contrast the near tide of somewhat uncharacteristic personal revelation.

Two friends, on Game Theory.

Charles: Yves saying that he would choose to stay with you in Paris instead of taking a dream job in Amsterdam is classic Game Theory. His dominant strategy: lock you in. Your dominant strategy: try as many men as possible, before you settle. Those are conflicting outcomes in a zero-sum game. His best move? Increase the cost to defect. In this case, the cost is your level of guilt for keeping him here if you continue to gadabout with all the other male creatives of Paris.

Cecily: That’s a well thought-out and convincingly articulated hypothesis, my friend.

Charles: Do keep in mind that research finds Game Theory applies best to the emotionally rational, i.e. sociopaths. So you know, he may be a sociopath or he may just be truly in love with you.

Two friends, on weakness.

Charles: What is Charles’ greatest weakness?

Cecily: His wholehearted enjoyment of his own flaws. Thus, he will always find growth difficult, if not impossible.

Charles: I hate your assessment. Be dishonest next time.