how close is too close?

Bad Company: On Vanity, Vulnerability, and Learning to Be Seen

Beginners (2011)

I try to decline invitations when I feel unable to be “good company.” If this seems noble, it’s not, it’s merely to avoid a fear that goes like this: if people see me at my worst, they won’t want to see me again, ever. So, I hide out whenever I don’t have the energy to present as the cheerful person I prefer to parade as. Being around pe…