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Now, maybe Simon Cowell's already had a tell-all book about his life, or revealed his childhood a hundred times, but if he has I never saw it. So when I saw this short story about his childhood, it struck me on several levels. In it he stated that he was "always bored" growing up. Apparently, he still hasn't licked that problem because today on American Idol he still looks bored half the time, except when he's pissed at a kid for rearranging "I Shot the Sheriff."

He also indicated that frustration with his life led him to thoughts of suicide, though it isn't made clear if we're talking more serious contemplation than most teenagers, who consider it at one time or another in moments of extreme emotion. So now he pushes other kids to those emotional extremes to make sure they're made of tough enough stuff. I hope they have a suicide watch in Hollywood!

He went on to explain that it was the criticism throughout his life that made him the success he is. "I certainly learned more when people criticized me than when they lied to me and said what I was doing was right." I can say that in the cold-hearted world of business, praise is very hard to come by while criticism runs rampant. Since it worked so well for Simon while he was coming up, he's obviously decided to share that brand of tough love with the contestants on American Idol.

Need more American Idol? Get an inside look at Season 7's contestants and think back to these scathing (and hilarious) Simon Cowell quotes. Also: Don't forget to choose your favorite Idol!

And yet, Simon is considered the most reliable and accurate judge on most occasions. So is he doing this for the kids? It's hard to say as sometimes it seems like Simon really doesn't care or openly dislikes certain contestants. I wonder if someone gave him a genuine hug and told him he was special, would he turn into Paula II?

Randy: "Yo dawg. I mean for me ... for me, I just wasn't feeling that at all. You know what I'm talking about, it was pitchy in place and for real, dude. Come on. You gotta do better than that."

Paula: "First of all, you look beautiful up there. This is your moment. All of you kids, this is your time to shine. And you stayed true to yourself. I'm so proud of you."

Simon: "That was like a giant bowl of sugar and love that I could spend all day in. I heart everything about you."

Ryan: "... I don't know what to do. Who do I make fun of? Nigel ... uh ... you're gay! ... With your shirts and hair and ... I ... "

[via azcentral.com]