There is a life we're told to want.

And most of us, without protest, begin to want it.

The Weight of Quiet Agreements explores the cumulative burden of the unspoken contracts we sign throughout our lives—expectations we inherit, internalize and eventually embody. These agreements are not issued forcefully but folded gently into us: be good, follow the path, don't fall behind, want the right things.

We are taught that a meaningful life follows a familiar shape from an early age. We're shown images of order—milestones, institutions, achievements—and assured that within them lies fulfillment. The house, the partner, the steady career, the neat calendar of responsibilities—these aren't imposed as rules but offered as inevitabilities. We nod. We step forward. We build.

The box at the centre of this work does not scream or threaten; it simply exists—fixed, silent, and inescapable. It symbolizes the enclosure we find ourselves in and the one we contribute to strengthening over time. Various systems—such as family, culture, and the economy—form this frame, but our quiet acceptance makes it feel like home.

This piece does not pass judgment. Rather, it observes the slow trade-offs we make to pursue belonging and the subtle erosion of self that can follow. It asks: How much of what you call your life was chosen? And how much was agreed to, over time, without question?

The Weight of Quiet Agreements reflects the subtle architecture of conformity—the invisible but ever-present scaffolding of the 'should life.' It is about the gravity of fitting in and the quiet cost of doing so.