Unadulterated, true self-certainty, can only be a product of what one thinks of himself, and perforce, what others think of him. When one’s certainty arises only from his internal calculus, then it is arrogance. When one’s certainty solely arises from external gestures, it is superficial. Either scenario creates a human personality, whose apparent self-certainty, is built on a weak foundation, and as such, in reality bears the mark of insecurity rather than certainty.
The human being has many needs, the most important being, a need to be needed. No man is an island, no human personality is isolated, no individual is independent of the human other. Everyday we wake up, and a gnawing knocking beat within our heart, begs the question – am I needed in this world? If by the end of the day the question is answered in the affirmative, we are a happy healthy human; but if it is answered in the negative, our spirit withers and our soul retreats, and ultimately, our self-certainty is decimated and defeated.
This is my understanding, and humble opinion, of Jewish Philosophy’s formulation to this subject.
2012