Friction as civic infrastructure

Some everyday frictions — chores, delays, localized constraints — function like infrastructure that cultivates commitment, meaning and durable social ties. Eliminating those frictions for the sake of efficiency can hollow relationships, reduce civic resilience, and reconfigure incentives toward exit rather than repair. — Reframing certain frictions as public goods would change how policymakers regulate platforms, urban design, and labor automation by making preservation of 'meaningful effort' an explicit objective alongside productivity.