hedgehog's dilemma

The phrase hedgehog's dilemma refers to the notion that the closer two beings come to each other, the more likely they are to hurt one another; however if they remain apart, they will each feel the pain of loneliness. This comes from the idea that hedgehogs, with sharp spines on their backs, will hurt each other if they get too close. It is a character trait some individuals can have, sometimes causing anti-social behaviors, often caused by an unpleasant past experience of intimacy with another being. Someone who suffers from the hedgehog's dilemma will often avoid getting too close or involved with someone, fearing another, possibly painful, experience.

quoting: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedgehog_dilemma

well, I was reminded of this through Gundam 00, and then my fren was talking about NGE, and this is a famous (IMO) and deep (IMO) theme in NGE.