For Willy Loman, true happiness depends on external validation. This meaning that above all things, he values the acceptance, praise, and general approval of his family and peers that success entails, and without these things he cannot ever be truly satisfied with his life. Within the text, Willy shows how much this affects him and matters to him through. During his affair, he says to his mistress, The Woman, “You picked me?” with an air of surprised pride, and relishing in the idea that he is worthy of someone and has been “chosen” (Miller, 29). This clearly awes him so greatly that it is a sign that he recognizes her “picking him” as more than just flattery, but it validates a central part of his ego and psyche. Though he may not recognize
