"See finish" is the Nigerian diagnosis for when someone knows you too well and stops valuing you. It happens in friendships. The person who saw you broke, who saw you cry, who saw you fail—they no longer fear you. They no longer respect your boundaries. They make jokes about your trauma. They remind you of your lowest moments. They "see you finish," and the mystery is gone. It happens in relationships. The partner who has seen you without makeup, without money, without confidence. They stop trying. They stop impressing. They assume permanence. The "see finish" is the death of effort. It happens at work. The colleague who knows your salary, who knows your struggles, who knows you need this job. They stop being polite. They delegate disrespectfully. They "see you finish" as an employee. The syndrome is dangerous because it punishes intimacy. The more someone knows you, the less they value you. The solution is distance, mystery, or constant reinvention. But in close quarters—family, marriage, long-term employment—distance is impossible. Has someone "seen you finish"? And have you caught yourself disrespecting someone because you know them too well?
