Ratthi is Murderbot's human friend but...

The only tag I can access on Ratthi is a partial that says my human friend.

[Exit Strategy]

Thiago had said he felt like he should apologize and talk to me more about it. Ratthi had said, “I think you should let it go for a while, at least until we get ourselves out of this situation. SecUnit is a very private person, it doesn’t like to discuss its feelings.” This is why Ratthi is my friend.

[Network Effect]

Ratthi is a lovable guy, somehow strongly associated with the phrase "For fu*k's sake, Ratthi!", first uttered by Pin-Lee in All Systems Red. He seems naturally accident-prone, but is a competent biologist, loved by everyone. He was quick to accept Murderbot's humanity, getting indignant about how SecUnits are treated, and was sensitive to MB's social anxiety.

He is everyone's friend, and even MB finds it easy to talk to him and ask for assistance, as long as it is not something dangerous.

Ratthi was the one who was quick at picking up something between MB and ART, and ask that directly - "So, you have a relationship with this transport".

And yet, when I think about who the most important friends in MB's life are, he comes the 3rd at the highest, after Mensah and ART. And I wondered why - apart from his screen time.

My conclusion is this - Ratthi is very nice and sensitive to MB's needs, but he seldom brings MB out of its comfort zone. He did try to talk to MB about its emotions in ASR, and he did ask about its relationship with ART in NE. But he did not push it much.

Mensah and ART both pushed and challenged MB, and brought it out of its comfort zone. Made it question itself. Made it experience something it was reluctant to try. But also, importantly, they were there to have its back. Ultimately helping MB grow as an independent being.

Additionally, being out of comfort zone results in physiologically and psychologically heightened state known as arousal in psychological term. When you experience it with someone who is there for you, you are more likely to develop positive attachement for this person. (known and "misattribution of arousal")

I have no doubt that Ratthi will be there for MB if it needs his help, but I've got the feeling that Ratthi is too nice to push it out of its comfort zone.