Amicyam-uh-see

n. The mystery of what goes on behind the scenes of your social life. It's comforting to imagine conspiracies run our world—some hidden order held high by a shadowy cabal. Of course, there's no hidden order—but then again, there is. It's all of us.

We're all insiders, managing intricate webs of relationships, deploying soft power plays. How many cover-ups have you taken part in? How many times have you changed the subject or steered someone's behavior without them knowing?

There are so many backstories people keep to themselves, so many back channels you don't know exist. People know far more about you than you think.

But cui bono? Who knows how many colleagues lobbied to save your job? How many crises were hidden on your wedding day? Sometimes friends wait until you leave the table before singing your praises. Some mysterious force works behind the scenes to keep our communities intact. We sleep a little better knowing some sort of conspiracy is afoot.