> Why do you need to conform to a socially constructed persona?
Being an activist and doing things to further causes you believe in, when those things are predictably going to anger those in power, means you are trying to do an adult's job. And that means you have to be an adult. That's not a "socially constructed persona"; that's a fact of life. You can't be a "boyish intellectual" and take on the establishment.
I think if you speak about it like man/boy it seems sort of abstract. It's more that he wasn't so much of an adult. It seems like he was lacking a lot of responsibility that one would expect from an adult.
well if you're just an everyday introvert, then you need some promting, or else to summon the courage on your own to overcome your aversion to social situations. (digression, but the internet is a big help for this nowadays. you can watch youtube videos that walks you through how to ride the bus or whatever, for people too scared of embarrassing themslves to try).
On the other hand if you have a social anxiety you probably need some kind of stronger help to be able to function.
Either way the alternative of avoiding much of the world and relying on oehters to get by probably isn't preferable.
Being an activist and doing things to further causes you believe in, when those things are predictably going to anger those in power, means you are trying to do an adult's job. And that means you have to be an adult. That's not a "socially constructed persona"; that's a fact of life. You can't be a "boyish intellectual" and take on the establishment.