Although this was a result of an ESI-LIE conversation, this post could equally well be placed in the “stages of Duality” thread.
Every Monday for work, I and a male ESI (along with many others) have been meeting for 2-3 hours to discuss progress on a project to turn cars into autonomous vehicles.

At first, the ESI seemed pretty stand-offish, but as the weeks went by, he and I found that our working styles meshed very well. He is looking for someone to effortlessly lead the project and rally the troops, and I need someone competent who can cover the practical matters.

After about ten meetings, I would say that he and I have started to look forward to spending time together at these meetings. In other words, we are Dualizing.

Yesterday, while their guys were in the vehicle assembly area setting up the test hardware that our team designed, I took him aside and asked him about his previous job in remote sensing, since my company has an unrelated project of detecting fires from high altitudes.

Now, normally, I keep a shield between me and the work, so that I can maintain objectivity and can disengage if things go pear-shaped, and this fire control project is no exception. It is just another project that may or may not be profitable.
But as he and I were standing there, talking about spectral radiance and photon budgets, I found myself falling into the Real.

Not the removed and objectified world of “just another job”, but the world where things actually matter. To me. Personally. And I realized that a veil had been lifted, and I want that kind of connection.
I can easily see how Duals become more productive when working together.

Damn. It’s too bad I’m not gay. Lol.

So last night I talked to my female LIE friend and asked her how long she has been working with a female ESI? She said, “Sixteen years.”
”And has the relationship gone downhill at all during that time?”, I asked.
”Nope. We get along great. We’re friends, really.”

OK. Damn. Duality or GTFO.