escrow
Escrow is a social ritual of entrusting money to a neutral third party to dilute the poison of doubt in an uncertain promise. In the quagmire of commerce it serves as a deluxe mudguard and doubles as a surveillance camera to prevent entanglement of mutual greed. Though touted as safety, it’s merely the sanctification of someone else’s bank balance. One purchases peace of mind by erecting a mountain of tedious procedures, only to incur a debt called reassurance. Ultimately, it quietly reveals that the greatest risk is the third party’s change of heart.