Agreed. Fritz is similar to me in many ways, but not that one. I do kind of suspect I wouldn't have the casual indifference to people bonding if I'd had his upbringing, though--both the parenting and the 18th century context. A lot of my "me = Fritz" is "me + Fritz's upbringing = Fritz" and "Fritz + my upbringing = me."
that he really loved the people he loved in a very emotional way, and would probably have been a lot happier if he'd had better relationship skills.
Yes, yes, and yes. He let people get close to him with surprising ease (even when you take into account 18th century rhetorical conventions), and then he so often didn't know how to make himself or anyone else happy.
Wilhelmine: agreed. Sucks to be almost everybody, ugh. And MT may have had a less crap life than a lot of people, but she sure didn't have an *easy* one.
Re: Emotional isolation
that he really loved the people he loved in a very emotional way, and would probably have been a lot happier if he'd had better relationship skills.
Yes, yes, and yes. He let people get close to him with surprising ease (even when you take into account 18th century rhetorical conventions), and then he so often didn't know how to make himself or anyone else happy.
Wilhelmine: agreed. Sucks to be almost everybody, ugh. And MT may have had a less crap life than a lot of people, but she sure didn't have an *easy* one.