The original essay didn't propose any kind of manipulation, it's clearly a lighthearted game that encourages thoughtful and meaningful conversations. After all, Nikhil said that the goal is to "focus on the quality of the conversation and the connection you are making with the other person." So it's UrRong to say that this approach is selfish and one sided; in fact, it encourages both people to share their feelings and views openly and honestly. If there's anything that was selfish, it was Nikhil's attempt to break his personal record of one hour and twelve minutes. Ha!