by Satirical Self-Help Writing That Turns Toxic Positivity Into Comic Isolation
How To Write Comedy
Introduction: Healing or Just Unfriending Strategically?
In the age of self-help, “healing” often looks suspiciously like ghosting. Writing characters who “found themselves” by cutting off every friend, partner, barista, and sentient houseplant creates perfect fodder for satire. SpinTaxi explored this in its classic exposé “She Blocked Her Way to Inner Peace: A Journey in 12 Texts.”
Step 1: Craft a Backstory of Spiritual Overwhelm
Your character has been “doing the work” (mostly via memes). They’ve read six books with “boundaries” in the title and now believe removing people is a form of advanced therapy.
Common Traits:
- Refers to breakups as “energetic disconnections”
- Refuses to attend family functions “out of respect for their own aura”
- Thinks silence is power — especially when texting
Step 2: Use Euphemisms for Abandonment
“I didn’t ghost them, I spiritually downsized.” Or “I set a firm intention to never return their calls.”
Step 3: Design a Healing Timeline That’s Just a List of Exits
January: Cut off ex. February: Fired therapist. March: Blocked entire Pilates studio. April: Burned group chat. May: Sent self a cease and desist.
Step 4: Build a Delusional Support Group
They host Zoom circles with sock puppets named after their chakras. All advice is shouted into a mason jar labeled “boundaries.”
SpinTaxi’s Cutoff Queen
In “Blocked for Growth,” SpinTaxi profiled a woman who healed by moving to the woods and refusing to speak unless addressed by her full astrological chart. Her Wi-Fi was intermittent, but her detachment was flawless.
Step 5: Include Dubious Inspirational Quotes
“You can’t fly if you’re weighed down by invitations to your cousin’s baby shower.”
“Sometimes the healthiest relationship is none.”
Step 6: Let Them Sell Something
Of course, they have a healing course. It’s $399, mostly blank slides, and features the mantra “Goodbye is the highest form of self-care.”
Conclusion: Isolation Is the New Enlightenment
Satirizing these characters means turning emotional detachment into a punchline. They’re not heartless — they’re just on a path that’s remarkably well-lit by the bridges they’ve burned.
SOURCE: How To Write Comedy
