Yeah. Good thoughts. I agree.

I don’t like thinking of relationships in terms of transactions and this is why. It’s base, devolved, primative, low, etc.

It’s not the best choicenwe could make, or the best we can be for many reasons, including the tendency toward duplicity and moral ambiguity you hinted at.

However, most people seem to come back to that idea of relationships being transactional again and again and again. It’s disheartening. And, as you say, it’s a choice. We all have choices.

Personally, I believe the path to our better selves lies in thinking of our relationships in terms of reciprocity, not transactions.

If we did, power would flow throughout society rather than be horded and fought over. We wouldn’t be so weak or need to spend so much time and energy dealing with the transgressions of others, protecting ourselves from the violence bit of ego and attempts to dominate, or dealing with the repercussions of our own poor behaviors.