Maybe concede that the need for validation never quite goes away? You can remove all externalities but then it becomes an internal barometer. “Did I do enough?

Maybe concede that the need for validation never quite goes away? You can remove all externalities but then it becomes an internal barometer. “Did I do enough? Was what I said funny/insightful/smart? Do they like me?” The voice is always there. It just doesn’t have a number assigned to it.