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Clinical psychologist here. I'm sure it's a combination of childhood trauma and repeated brain injury, but Bret Hart is a severely damaged man. In all situations, he has a pathological need to see himself as a victim, and likely fits the criteria of what forensic psychologists (i.e. serial killer experts) call a "grievance collector." While healthy people find ways to work through personal conflicts and disappointments, Bret in his senior years still holds intense grudges against anyone who has ever "wronged" him, whether those wrongs are real or imaginary. He has an astonishing lack of insight and self-awareness, and routinely attacks others (including members of his own family) for traits that he himself exhibits. His ego is so fragile that it cannot tolerate even the most minor bruise. During his career, he displayed extreme delusions of grandeur, believing that his moderate celebrity actually made him a national and international hero -- a fantasy that he invested in so powerfully that he unintentionally sabotaged his own career, by refusing to "lose" in a scripted athletic contest that everyone knew was predetermined. He is likely a pathological narcissist and non-violent sociopath. In summation, he is an intensely disturbed man, and it's no surprise that others with maladjusted/anti-social personalities (such as Phil Brooks) gravitate towards him. People close to Bret should be cautious.
