Friends are central to this all-important sense of validation. When a friend confirms to us that the world is as we see it, we feel safer, reassured. On the other hand, when we say, “I’m shattered,” or “I’m losing my grip,” we might not be using clichés to describe a bad day but talking about something quite terrifying that we are experiencing: our sense of who we are is being challenged. So terrifying is this experience that we develop many different tactics aimed at warding off invalidation and defending ourselves against being annihilated as a person. Notice & Note: What phrase indicates the author is introducing contrasting details in paragraph 5? Highlight it in the text. Interpret: How does the contrast in this paragraph illustrate the importance of validation?