You counter weaknesses with defenses. It's one of those macho things, I guess. Even dope dealing, as hippie as it is, ends up being this macho thing. I know it's very difficult to start a self-examination process as a young person. So you don't need to build up facades or masks.
Society is so harsh about having to conform to be accepted.
It slowly kills a person. When you were dealing drugs, your need for attention and admiration was met through the partying, the excitement and the power. Now that you. Oh, basically, I'm a hollow, empty shell of a human. I've learned that a lot of people really care about me as a person.