The narrator is almost overwhelmingly numb to the reality that surrounds him, except where pain is concerned. Rather, the narrator lives for emotional distress, both that which he inflicts upon other people and that which is inflicted upon himself, via Aisling. It is one of the few things that he speaks passionately about, as he does not particularly care about his profession or seem to have any other pastimes.
One of the very first things the narrator speaks about is his love for causing other people, specifically women, severe emotional trauma.
