<p><i>Quality of Life Research</i> recently introduced an author statement inviting researchers to describe how their studies engaged people with lived experience. This commentary responds to that statement from the perspective of a patient advocate and long-standing research partner. While the statement represents a hopeful development, asking about engagement at manuscript submission risks reducing partnership to a retrospective checkbox. Drawing on experiences ranging from transformative to tokenistic, this piece argues that meaningful engagement requires intention from the start, a willingness to share power, and governance structures that give patient partners real influence over research decisions. Using Jay Katz’s concept of “inevitable conflict” as a framework, the commentary explores what patients uniquely contribute and offers concrete recommendations for researchers seeking to move beyond symbolic participation. Engagement that does not redistribute power is not partnership.</p>