Moral courage and sheer madness can look identical from inside a law firm.

Evidence

Phillips listened to this declaration, nodding his head as Schlichtmann spoke. “I want you to know I’m proud of you,” Phillips said. “The hardest decision you’ve ever made.” Phillips began humming as he talked. “Also absolutely insane”—hummm, hummm. “As insane as taking this case in the first place”—hummm, hummm. “Drag that bastard Eustis off his pedestal …” — , Harr Jonathan - A Civil Action, 2716

Categorization

• DEEPTHINKING: The hummed ‘hummm, hummm’ punctuation renders the exact affective seam between admiration and alarm — the chapter’s thesis compressed into a vocal tic.