Realizing with sadness that now even Berry had been sucked into calling these pitiful old ones “gomers,” I said, “He says he loves ’em.” “That’s just being counterphobic. Secondary narcissism.” “What’s all that?” “Counterphobic is when you do what you’re most scared of doing, the guy who’s afraid of heights becoming a bridge painter. Primary narcissism, like with Narcissus at the Pool, is when he tries to love himself, but he can’t embrace his own reflection, and he fails. Secondary narcissism is where he embraces others, and they love him for it, and he loves himself even more. The Fat Man is
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