"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and these findings about the penetralia of sexual life gave the writer a sort of justification for a native acerbity."
Later, when love abandoned him and he became a wounded figure difficult for others, he resorted to laughter and cynicism as a mask, hiding his true nature. He realized that love lacked substance and that idealizing a beloved was ultimately an act of self-harm, leading to disillusionment and emotional pain.