Yes, I think Lee has shown some evidence of 'distorted thinking': he focuses on the negative about himself, not the positive, enlarging it in his mind until it's the most important thing about him. He is capable of rationality and logical thinking in problem solving, but he doesn't use the same objective logic on himself. And that's such a tragic human failing.
In a way his 'death' completed a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy about himself. He thinks of himself as someone who doesn't live up to others' expectations and since dying resulted in him letting Kara down so drastically, his negative and distorted self-perceptions would have felt justified in his 'final' moments.
It's interesting that you raise the matter of him revealing his pain to Kara as adding an extra layer to his emotional burden from here on. That's true--and it's also interesting because they're opposites. She hasn't spoken about her most emotionally confronting experiences (e.g. the farm). Neither approach is clearly better than the other.
(Btw, your icon is gorgeous and I adore the Lee banner on your LJ--it is so beautiful. I hope you don't mind if I go and stare at it again!)
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2006-01-19 12:27 pm (UTC)Yes, I think Lee has shown some evidence of 'distorted thinking': he focuses on the negative about himself, not the positive, enlarging it in his mind until it's the most important thing about him. He is capable of rationality and logical thinking in problem solving, but he doesn't use the same objective logic on himself. And that's such a tragic human failing.
In a way his 'death' completed a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy about himself. He thinks of himself as someone who doesn't live up to others' expectations and since dying resulted in him letting Kara down so drastically, his negative and distorted self-perceptions would have felt justified in his 'final' moments.
It's interesting that you raise the matter of him revealing his pain to Kara as adding an extra layer to his emotional burden from here on. That's true--and it's also interesting because they're opposites. She hasn't spoken about her most emotionally confronting experiences (e.g. the farm). Neither approach is clearly better than the other.
(Btw, your icon is gorgeous and I adore the Lee banner on your LJ--it is so beautiful. I hope you don't mind if I go and stare at it again!)