Skip to content
Almost Rational

All Articles

12 stories
Why Indian Parents Can't Say I Love You
CultureRelationships

Why Indian Parents Can't Say I Love You

They drove four hours to bring you homemade food when you were sick. That was the 'I love you'. You just didn't have the translation.

By Satyam  |  31 May 2026  ·  11 min read

Why You Got Ghosted (And Why They Won't Tell You)
DatingRelationships

Why You Got Ghosted (And Why They Won't Tell You)

Ghosting isn't cowardice, exactly. It's a cost-benefit calculation that concluded your closure wasn't worth their discomfort.

By Satyam  |  31 May 2026  ·  11 min read

Burnout Is Not About Working Too Hard
WorkplaceMental Health

Burnout Is Not About Working Too Hard

You're not tired because you worked too much. You're tired because you worked too hard for things that stopped mattering.

By Satyam  |  31 May 2026  ·  11 min read

The Nice Guy Was Never Nice
RelationshipsGender

The Nice Guy Was Never Nice

The nice guy isn't describing a personality. He's filing a complaint about a debt he believes is owed to him.

By Satyam  |  31 May 2026  ·  11 min read

How Loneliness Is Being Sold Back to You
SociologyPsychology

How Loneliness Is Being Sold Back to You

The app doesn't want to cure your loneliness. A cured customer is a lost customer.

By Satyam  |  31 May 2026  ·  11 min read

Why Smart People Stay in Jobs That Are Slowly Destroying Them
WorkplacePsychology

Why Smart People Stay in Jobs That Are Slowly Destroying Them

The exit is visible. The door is right there. The fact that you're not walking through it has nothing to do with the door.

By Satyam  |  31 May 2026  ·  11 min read

Jealousy Is Always About You
RelationshipsPsychology

Jealousy Is Always About You

Jealousy isn't about who your partner looked at. It's about the story you tell yourself about what that look means about you.

By Satyam  |  31 May 2026  ·  11 min read

If Someone Is Buttering You, They May Have a Knife Too
CultureRelationships

If Someone Is Buttering You, They May Have a Knife Too

The butter and the knife are not separate things. They are the same tool, applied in sequence. What looks like recognition is sometimes the first half of an extraction.

By Satyam  |  26 May 2026  ·  min read

Why You Pull Back Right When Someone Gets Close
RelationshipsMental Health

Why You Pull Back Right When Someone Gets Close

By Satyam  |  18 May 2026  ·  min read

UPSC CSE 2026 Prelims E-Admit Card Overdue; Commission Expected to Issue Within Days
CulturePsychology

UPSC CSE 2026 Prelims E-Admit Card Overdue; Commission Expected to Issue Within Days

With eight days to go for the Civil Services Preliminary Examination, the admit card has not appeared on the Commission's website. Historical patterns suggest it is due any day.

By Satyam  |  14 May 2026  ·  5 min read

The "Cool Girl" Burnout
CultureRelationships

The "Cool Girl" Burnout

She laughs at the joke. She has laughed at it 14 times. Her face knows the shape before the joke ends. He makes the joke again. The room is not funny.

By Satyam  |  13 May 2026  ·  5 min read

Why You Need Approval from People You Don't Even Respect
CultureRelationships

Why You Need Approval from People You Don't Even Respect

There is no humiliation quite like catching yourself caring what someone thinks of you - someone whose judgment you wouldn't trust with a restaurant recommendation.

By Satyam  |  10 May 2026  ·  16 min read