The Insecure Rationalist

A sense of self-esteem can match a person's true philosophical standing, but it also might not.  Since emotions are not always controllable through sheer willpower and thought, the way a given person's emotions impact their self-esteem does not always reflect their true nature as an individual capable of thorough rationality and self-awareness.  Rationalists are not necessarily immune to this, unfortunately: some who have embraced reason and truth as the inescapable foundation of all things know they have done so and do not have any strong feelings celebrating their own intelligence, autonomy, or avoidance of assumptions.

Thankfully, a rationalist does not have to feel special or empowered in order to be a giant among their families and peers, as he or she already stands above every single person who, because of age, has the ability to fully embrace reason and does not.  Just as other truths do not hinge on how any person feels, the true status of a rationalist is not rooted in emotions.  Beliefs, intelligence, and autonomy all remain even when someone does not have emotional security in them.  Moreover, even other people can notice these qualities when someone feels as if they do not truly have them despite recognizing that they actually do.

This can be very relieving to rationalists!  We are people just like every other person, and not everyone feels secure in or content with their intellect.  Some rationalists who even fiercely affirm the truths of logic can still feel as if they are not truly superior to non-rationalists.  Sometimes people who do feel intellectually empowered are also quite irrational, as those who throw themselves at unverifiable empirical ideas over pure logicality.  The presence of rationality is not an automatic indicator of self-affirmation.

There is nothing a rationalist needs to do beyond being a genuine, consistent rationalist in order to be part of the superior category of thinkers and moralists.  Even the most insecure rationalist, a rationalist who would truly feel philosophically inadequate even after reflecting on or being complimented for their alignment with truth, can find solace in the fact that they have aligned with reason no matter their emotional acceptance of their own intelligence.  A sense of empowerment does not necessarily accompany philosophical competence, but philosophical competence does not depend on it.