At best he read popular science magazines like the Scientific American he had now, to keep himself up-to-date, in layman's terms, with physics generally. But even then his concentration was marred, for a lifetime's habit made him inconveniently watchful for his own name. He saw it as if in bold. It could leap out at him from an unread double page of small print, and sometimes he could sense it coming before the page turn.

Summary

This quote describes a person who has developed a habit of constantly scanning for their own name while reading, even in seemingly unrelated content like popular science magazines. Despite trying to keep up with physics through these publications, their focus is often interrupted by the anticipation and awareness of their own name appearing, which distracts them from fully immersing themselves in the material. This suggests a self-centered attitude and a powerful need for recognition or validation.

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