" We do not want to admit our lack of substance to ourselves and, instead, strive to project an image of completeness, or self-sufficiency. The paradox is that, to the extent that we succumb to this urge, we are estranged from ourselves and are not real. Our narcissism requires that we keep the truth about our selves at bay. "

― Mark Epstein , Thoughts Without A Thinker: Psychotherapy From A Buddhist Perspective