What We Really Mean by Affection

A word reclaimed, redefined, and reimagined for how we lead and live.

We chose the word affection deliberately.
Not because it’s soft.
But because it’s stronger than it’s given credit for.

Affection is often misunderstood, mistaken for something romantic, sentimental, or gentle. Something domestic. Feminine. Quiet.

But in the Affection Economy, affection means something else entirely.

Affection is active.

It’s not just how you feel.
It’s what you do with how you feel.

It’s the choice to check in.
To honour someone’s dignity.
To speak truthfully when silence is more convenient.
To design systems that consider people, not just profit.

Affection in this context is:

• Human-centred, not people-pleasing

• Grounded in clarity, not passivity

• A strategy for trust, not just a vibe

Why affection?

We could have called it the Kindness Economy.
Or the Empathy Economy.
Or even the Love Economy.

But those words have been overused or misunderstood —
Emotional intelligence? It’s great. But it stops at awareness.
The Affection Economy is about action.

It’s love in motion.
Courage, not comfort.
Connection, not control.

Affection is a leadership choice.

It shows up in how you lead a team,
Run a business,
Raise a child,
Challenge a system,
Or show up in the community.

It’s how you build belonging — not just in theory, but in daily, deliberate decisions.

This is the foundation of the Affection Economy:
A values-first way of living, leading, parenting, and participating in the world.

You don’t have to be perfect.
You just have to be present and willing.

To care, to respond, to choose differently.
That’s affection.
And that’s how change begins.

Author’s Note:

This piece was originally published here on The Story Maker. It is available for republication, syndication, or editorial adaptation.

For commissions or licensing, please contact Jet Swain.