due to a feeling of abandonment and abuse during childhood, michael developed and has very low, or absolutely no sense of, self-worth. with the low latent inhibition, this has made him become very attuned to all the suffering around him. as a result of being unable to block out other people's suffering, he is extremely empathetic and altruistic towards other people's emotions; this explains michael's desire to make huge sacrifices to help others – he is more concerned with other people's welfare than his own. this particular attribute is apparently the product of his detrimental experience during childhood, where, as a child, his abusive foster father would often beat him and have him locked up inside a closet; and by doing so, michael's eyes begin to adjust to the darkened environment, allowing him to scan objects around him which he can use for his own convenience.