In the paragraph12, the author was talk about one experience by himself. He confesses that he is also like showing off. Especially when he prides oneself on something-the first time some poems of his were published, he will showing off to everyone he had ever known even the stranger. It is really too exaggerate. Some time showoffs are normal and essential, so when you show off sometime other people can understand. And if the thing what you are showing off is really good, other people will praise you. But when the showoff is excessively, it will let others fell disgusting.
And in the paragraph I had some question about the meaning. For example, the sentence 'I will lay my cards right on the table', I think it maybe mean 'you are very frank, and don't hide something'. But I don't firmly. So I lookup in the diction, I know my guess is right.
