If there were an award for pretending to like people I can’t stand, I’d have a shelf full of Oscars by now. The ability to maintain a polite smile while mentally planning my escape is a skill I’ve perfected over the years. Some call it being fake—I call it survival. Meeting people I don’t like is an unavoidable part of life. It happens at weddings, family gatherings, work events, and sometimes even in random supermarket aisles when I fail to dodge in time. Each encounter is a test of patience, self-control, and my ability to suppress sarcasm..