How Some Rationalists Might Regard Themselves And Others

The differences in how people perceive or enjoy things brings an inevitable layer of subjectivity that someone could become lost in if they will not intentionally seek out the light of reason.  For anyone who is willing, this subjectivity does not have to be anything more than a layer of experience that can be fully identified, understood, and not allowed to serve as the basis of one's worldview.  Indeed, one must rely on reason to even understand subjectivity.  Rationalistic liberation and certainty might still not change everything about how a person feels about himself or herself.  Ultimately, someone could still feel as though they are something less than a rationalist whose beliefs, behaviors, and relationships all revolve around this.

For some people, rationality, autonomy, kindness, loyalty, and practical competence (as opposed to competence with grasping the more abstract sides of life and philosophy) can seem far more impressive in other people even when there is no difference in the extent or openness of these qualities.  Certain people might think highly of another person for how they possess or express some of these characteristics, only to not hold the same high regard for themselves even when they do have them as well.  Moreover, they might not do so out of a lack of self-awareness and rationality; they might just not have the same attitude towards themselves that they would towards others who are rational and compassionate, despite not having any false beliefs or assumptions about themselves.

It might indeed not be because they are actually ignorant of how they themselves are also rational, independent, compassionate (in a non-emotionalistic way), and so on.  Someone could realize with the absolute certainty of rationalistic introspection that they do have the exact same traits they admire in others and still not be particularly impressed or content with himself or herself.  The difference comes down to the fact that the direct admiration is simply for others.  As long as they do not begin to believe hypocritical or otherwise irrational things about themselves, such as disbelieving that they are rational when they avoid assumptions or look to deductive reasoning or that they are kind when they serve others, this attitude is not irrational.

Attitudes, after all, are not always subject to the will.  They can be developed or resisted on the level of belief or action, yes, but not everyone's emotions or more lasting attitudes can truly be willed to change.  Sometimes the best a person like this can do is just to not forsake reason, understand their own worldview, philosophical competence, and behaviors, and accept the fact that they have trouble regarding themselves as highly as others for the same qualities.  It remains unfortunate that someone might not be as satisfied with their own rationality, philosophical discoveries, aptitude at handling relationships, endurance of trials, or compassion as they would be if others had these things, yet they can still always be perfectly self-aware.

I myself have seen this tendency in several other rationalists that I have the honor of knowing personally, having been at their side for up to seven years in one case.  Without seeming to actually mistake their lack of intense admiration for their true nature and accomplishments for them being irrational, they are more likely to say positive things about others who show rationality and its many subtraits than they are to listen to me praise them without almost pushing back.  It would still be erroneous to trivialize their accomplishments as rationalists no matter what they feel towards their own selves, and in such cases, firm and sincere, honest encouragement can bring focus to what they would hopefully already know in full.