Potpourri 4 - You're Ugly, Too

"What is your perfume? a student asked. Room freshener, she said." pg. 353

I feel really bad for Zoe. I know that she brings her troubles upon herself, but she doesn't know how to act around people. She is so unsure of herself that she makes jokes in inappropriate situation. She lacks self-esteem even though she acts like she is very confident. She uses humor as a defense mechanism so that she never has to be sincere with people. Because of this, she lacks connection with people. She is very lonely, but it is her own doing. She began using humor to mask herself at a young age. As a kid, she had a speech impediment and was embarrassed to speak. She began telling jokes because people knew the answers to the jokes. This made it okay if people didn't understand her.