“My unhappiness precluded all else; unhappiness is a kind of narcissism, in which nothing that does not resonate with your unhappiness can interest you.” SadnessDepressionUnhappiness Book:Skin Game Source: Skin Game
“Once you take to the habit of deception, every new lie comes that much easier. Though to me it wasn't so much lies as a matter of judicious editing. We all inevitably present a version of ourselves that is a collection of half-truths and exclusions. The way I saw it, the truth was too complicated, whereas the well-chosen lie would put everyone's mind at ease.” LyingLiesDeceptionPublic ImageHalf Truths Book:Skin Game Source: Skin Game
“How gratifying it is to amuse. How easy it gets to toss off a witticism to ease any awkwardness, to sidestep any solemnity. When you amuse, it even seems, for the briefest possible moment that you are who you appear to be, so clever and confident and at ease.” HumorCopingAmuse Book:Skin Game Source: Skin Game
“You might imagine that a person would resort to self-mutilation only under extremes of duress, but once I'd crossed that line the first time, taken that fateful step off the precipice, then almost any reason was a good enough reason, almost any provocation was provocation enough. Cutting was my all-purpose solution.” CuttingSelf HarmCoping MechanismSi Book:Skin Game Source: Skin Game
“That's when I wanted to cut. I cut to quiet the cacophony. I cut to end this abstracted agony, to reel my selves back to one present and physical whole, whose blood was the proof of her tangibility.” CuttingSelf HarmSelf InjuryCutSiSelf Mutilation Book:Skin Game Source: Skin Game