Never really thought of it that way, but it makes sense. My Dad was always invested in the idea of my fundamental wrongness and incompetence from the beginning. About everything. (See my "Curing Cancer" quip above.)

Take today. My Dad wanted to mulch the leaves in my yard. Nice enough gesture, but he had to spoil it by showing up three hours early, unannounced and rant about how I intentionally ignore, use and disrespect him. By not raking before he showed up. Unannounced and three hours early.

Now, to be fair, I don't respect the man and I do ignore him because most of what he's said my entire life has been some variety of how dumb, stupid and incompetent I am and how I couldn't survive in the "real world" without him. So, how dare I not listen to his "pearls of wisdom!" Self-fulfilling prophecy anyone?

He even went so far in his delusions of persecution as to actively work and put extra weight on a bad ankle in the hopes of injuring himself to prove to the world how bad a person I was for not raking leaves the second he commanded.

He'd rather hurt himself than admit he might be at fault for anything.

I personally have nothing but disdain for the man. I also know my own worth having survived in the "real world" just fine without him. It'd be nice to have more positive reinforcement though. It gets mentally exhausting having to ground myself every time he tries to discount my reality!