A little more rye

Mr. Antonelli "... Among other things, you'll find that you're not the first person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior..."

^My favorite quote in the book. If you start looking for perfection in humans you're going to continually end up disappointed. And as you get used to finding flaws it becomes easier and easier to do so, eg. Mr. Antonelli stroking Holden's hair makes Holden so uncomfortable. That instance also demonstrates that the same search for perfection creates a very cynical individual. It becomes difficult to socialize and live within society in general IE

"I thought what I'd do was, I'd pretend I was one of those deaf-mutes. That way I wouldn't have to have any goddam stupid useless conversations with anybody. ... and then I'd be through with having conversations for the rest of my life. ... they'd leave me alone"

After he leaves Mr. Antonelli's, Holden pretty much decides that communication in general is futile. He is done with the ways of the world, very much like one Christopher McCandless, though he's not thinking on a transcendentalist level so much as a romantic one.

And all romantics have to stop smelling the roses and accept concrete, garbage and human error eventually...