He was not just briefly receiving care and attention; he was living inside a family’s grief and hope, occupying a room and a role and a name for over a year.

Whether this represents genuine psychological insight or a performance of insight that he believes will generate sympathy is, given his history, impossible to determine.

The Chameleon Metaphor And Its Limits

The nickname “The Chameleon” — which has been attached to Bourdin in media coverage and in the title of a 2010 French film about his life — is apt in obvious ways and misleading in subtle ones.

The apt dimension: like a chameleon, Bourdin changes his presentation to match his environment.