> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://cafebedouin.gitbook.io/potm/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://cafebedouin.gitbook.io/potm/section-4-reality-is-co-constituted/4-the-mullahs-shared-burden/interlude-the-theory-of-visitors.md).

# Interlude: The Theory of Visitors

## The Theory of Visitors

She leaned in. ‘Do you believe in the theory of visitors?’ She said this conspiratorially, as if she was sharing with me a secret.

‘What’s that?’ I asked.

‘All relationships are transient,’ she said. ‘Friends who stab you in the back. People you network with at a fancy party. Relatives who die. The love of your life. Everything is temporary. People come into your life for a limited amount of time, and then they go away. So you welcome their arrival, and you surrender to their departure. Because they are all visitors. And when the visitors go home, they might take something from you. Something that you can’t ever get back. And that part sucks. But visitors always leave souvenirs. And you get to keep those forever.'”

—Sam Lansky, “[The Theory of Visitors](https://medium.com/@samlansky/the-theory-of-visitors-4c7dd3a1b6d4).” *Medium.com.* November 10, 2017.