I aagree with your view on the bit of healing that occured between the boys at the end of season 5, that that carried Dean through the early weeks with Lisa and Ben, and that, even though he missed Sam terribly, Lisa's love and acceptance of him as a whole package went a long way toward repairing his sadly broken sense of self-worth.

It is telling to me, however, that when Veritas asks him for the truth, after being with soullessSam for a while, Dean has reclassified himself as nothing more than a killer. Again, he values himself from the way others see him more than having his own sense of self, and to soullessSam that's what Dean was good for, even inferior to Sam.

Thanks for all the thinky thoughts--I feel we could peel Dean like an onion forever and still find layers within. And I love his character's depths and flaws!