People
And I don't just mention it, for God's sake, to show you I was once an Emotional Young Person Just Like Yourself.
— J.D. Salinger · Franny and Zooey
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
The speaker insists that mentioning their past is not an attempt to prove they were once an emotional young person like the listener. The phrase pushes back against a possible reading of the remark as self-congratulation. Its exaggerated capitalization gives the label comic emphasis.
Context reviewed