When it finally did get insufferable was when he'd entirely confidently say something completely wrong and then, on top of that, get angry when corrected. Previously, he was able to cope with "well actually" without melting down into a seething bundle of autism.
A confident and competent (hu)man can comfortably admit when wrong, and when appropriate will do so gracefully and quickly, and will give credit to the correct information and who supplied it. They also may, if actually competent or expert, be able then to pivot and build on the correct information in a way that elevates the discussion. They suffer no loss of face admitting they are wrong, experience no jealousy or sour grapes. Their interest is in moving the discussion forward productively, and their egos aren't so fragile that they make themselves the point at the cost of the actual one.
Nick is the opposite of this. Never had expertise, never embraced opportunities to become one or even learn something from someone else - both in his efforts at actually practicing law, and in his streaming activities. The absolute worst mindset for growth and development.
So here we are 10 years later and he surely knows less than he did in February 2015 (all those bar exam basics tend to fade with time, and God knows he hasn't been in consistent practice* to expand his knowledge, either of principles or practice).
* He and Hardin have been out of law school about the same amount of time. Consider how much more experience Hardin has gotten in the Greer mess alone nevermind everything else he's done.
He must know this at some level, and between that insecurity, his innate sassiness and arrogance, and his obsessive need these days to relate everything to his own legal situation (that he alone created for himself), every single word or even minor disagreement on any point activates his emergency system. Everything is perceived as an attack, and his burned-out amygdala flips tf out. He can't settle that down, and he doesn't believe in acting with grace, so he's spending every minute deeply on edge - not that he'd admit that, either, if he even recognizes it.
Unfortunately for him, all of this just renders him less and less serious, less and less interesting, less and less
able overall. I'd say it's sad, but I've never thought much of him, his knowledge, or his personality/ persona (or many of his lifestyle choices...and I mean beyond the sex- and drug-related orientations). But that's just me. A lot of people here whose comments I respect - both with and without formal legal training or occupations - enjoyed him at one point, so I trust there was, at some point, some entertainment value he at least stumbled on by having good connections and was able to channel. Something to be said for making a name in something you barely know anything about! A wiser man would have protected that. And would have put his head down to study the law and prep for work, would have sought smart people to know and learn from, etc.
But Nick, though, always knows best and trusts only his own judgment and decisionmaking... which is precisely why he sits today many dollars and assets fewer, unable to practice law, extended criminal probation hanging over his head, litigation ongoing (and more he himself is threatening!), reputation destroyed, family relationships strained or estranged, children embarrassed and pitied, both he and wife semi-self-harming or begging for it during emotional arguments, investigations of all sorts, friends and associates lost, unpaid bills piled up, etc.
You'd
think that at some point a person would recognize that relying on their own judgment (and/or impulses, or decisions, etc.) does not turn out so well and clearly has some fundamental flaws...and would then arrest/ check their automatic reaction of refusing to hear any other version of things.
But nope. The same reasons he's where he is preclude him from trying something else. He must have control, and his is the only correct or even "real" perspective; all else is inferior and even against him, and so is discarded. And it's going
great.
