Lately I’ve been looking at a bunch of PFPs, membership cards, and brand collaborations, and everyone keeps talking about “long-term value.” I’m actually more concerned with this: are you buying a sense of belonging, or a short-lived burst of attention like fireworks? Plainly put, the more often you change your profile picture, the more it feels like you’re borrowing other people’s gaze to “recharge” yourself.

This current airdrop season is pretty obvious too. The task platforms roll out anti-sybil/anti-bot measures, and then layer on a points-based system—so the people who grind for giveaways end up competing like they’re punching a clock for work, and in the end, your emotions get tugged around by the points. If the membership system also turns into “do tasks to earn recognition,” that’s going to be exhausting.

My approach right now is more like making backups: my main account is the narrative I personally stand behind; a small position is a cold backup; and I occasionally participate as a hot backup—but I won’t let any single community “bind” me as their only one. Position size isn’t self-esteem, and identity shouldn’t be either. That’s it for now.