Although the question hasn't been posted (shame on you Jane : ) it's 7:30) I believe that tonight we are to ask our own topic questions. What I'd like to know is why Lermontov is making a big deal of how those who show their personal diary to friends and aquaintences (such as Rousseau) are bound to censor themselves and instead exaggerate their purpose when he himself is making no point against that with making up the entire diary of Pechorin. Doesn't that seem ridiculous?