Parasited Pon -
Cancel three subscriptions. Mute two "friends." Turn off all non-essential notifications. You will feel withdrawal. That is the parasite thrashing. Let it thrash.
Create friction. Remove your credit card from one-click shopping. Set an auto-reply for after-hours work emails: "I am currently offline. Your message will be read during business hours." Put a physical sticky note on your monitor that says: "ARE THEY FEEDING ON ME?" parasited pon
If you left for two weeks, would the company collapse (showing you are essential) or would they replace you in 48 hours (showing you are a cog)? Usually, it's the latter. The extraction method: Passion exploitation. The cure: Clock in. Clock out. Define your "minimum viable contribution." Do not let your employer access your Pon after 6 PM. Part 3: Why We Allow Ourselves to Be Parasited This is the uncomfortable part. Leeches don't attach to healthy, armored skin. They find the soft spots. Cancel three subscriptions
Starting today, check your flanks. Check your bank account. Check your text messages. Where is the slow leak? Where is the invisible mouth attached to your side? That is the parasite thrashing
That family member who only calls when they need emotional triage? Parasite. Benefit (relief of anxiety). Host harmed (your energy drops after every call).
After interacting with them, you feel exhausted, anxious, or guilty—even if nothing "bad" happened. The extraction method: Attention and empathy. The cure: The "Gray Rock" method. Become boring. Give one-word answers. Stop feeding the leech your emotional plasma. Parasite #2: The Subscription Trap (The Pon of Finance) Modern software has perfected the art of the slow drain. You sign up for a free trial of a video editor. You use it once. Three years later, $479 has vanished from your bank account in $11.99 increments. You don't even own the software; you rented a ghost.