Are You Certain?

One characteristic of being human is the need for not only certainty but also certitude. No difference between the two? Not quite. Where certainty means a state of being certain, certitude means a state of feeling absolutely convinced. The difference is that certitude is a feeling while certainty involves inherent factuality. Therefore, you are certain that tomorrow the sun will rise because it always happens, it's scientifically proven, but you may or may not experience certitude as to the existence of God, the goodness of people, the motivations behind your actions. No big deal, you might say, and you would be probably right. But I believe that oftentimes the "feeling" is more fulfilling than the actual situation. Knowing something because there is proof is easier than believing, accepting as true a fact that is suggested only by your inner self, your intuition. And it's not always comfortable to accept it and follow its directions. Responsibility is involved here.