While John is more introspective than he was at the beginning of the story, it’s still difficult for him to acknowledge the tough issues that plague him, like Mr. Pignati’s death and his and Lorraine’s betrayal of Mr. Pignati. Still, when John explains here that what he hates most about adults is that they don’t want to talk about serious issues, it shows that he’s learned that keeping these things bottled up inside isn’t a solution. Adults might think John is disturbed for thinking about serious things, but what’s actually disturbed, John implies here, is thinking that ignoring one’s hardships will make them go away.