After a while contesting one’s reality became tiresome and corrosive. The unwillingness to consider another’s disparate reality and try to find common ground demoralized me to the point of recoiling from relationships. Giving others the benefit of the doubt became a ludicrous thought. Ultimately this form of incessant betrayal calcified into disillusionment and paranoia. Anticipating scenarios in which acrimonious debates or complete denial compelled me to sever connections and simply go it alone.