What I think may still need validation.
According to Halle, she believes they can raise a happy and well-adjust child without formal legal validation of their relationship.
What you may view as needing to have his ego petted is simply his need for validation.
Teamwork - Whether it's a running partner who will push you that much further or simply a child cheering you on at the finish line, having some external validation for your efforts can help keep any runner motivated to continue running.
To validate that joy through an emotion you feel is sometimes difficult, but reading poetry can release that joy, that emotion, and give it validation through tone, if not always with exact words.