> maybe the average person kind of sucks, or the way relationships are treated sucks

It's friction right? The last 150 years of progress have been all about removing friction.

And relationships are a great source of friction.

As a side note, I think it's this push for frictionlessness, this is the same force which has resulted in the loss of meaning.

Structure and community are seen as oppressive.

At last, we have been liberated from both.