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The Illusion of Goals: Why We're Obsessed with Endpoints in Dating, Love, and Life

Almost everything in our culture is goal-driven — including love. But what if life isn't a checklist? Step by Step — To Where? Let’s look at the common cultural script, especially around relationships: Date — but not for too long. Find “The One.” Get serious. Get married. Have children. Buy a house. Retire. Die knowing you followed the plan. Sounds… empty, right? But this is what many people are sold as a successful life . And we’ve absorbed this at such a deep level that even our emotional experiences get turned into to-do lists: “If we’ve been dating for X months, shouldn’t we…?” “We’ve had sex. What does it mean now?” “I love them — so that must mean we should be exclusive.” “We’re married — so I shouldn’t be feeling this way.” But what if the entire idea of "the next step" is the wrong framework for being alive? Where Did This Goal-Driven Mentality Come From? The obsession with goals isn’t human nature. It’s a product of syste...