The surest sign of insecurity is the need to defend oneself. National Security could be called National Insecurity due to the hunt to protect against those things that make us feel vulnerable. To hide secrets and secret away vulnerabilities. To make sure that I am in the position of power and those that make me feel the least safe are not. I then, rely on political maneuvering to make me feel like I am on top. Because, if I'm on top, no one else can be, right? No one will get one over on me.
I once heard that "An insecurity is a false security exposed." So, how do I respond to accusation? Whether it is true or not, I feel that it is important to respond the same way in every situation. Responding from fear is unhealthy and ephemeral. It does not solve a problem, at best, it only relieves the pressure of the present conflict. And it creates an underpinning for catastrophe. Tomorrow's tragedy is today's comedy built with shoddy tools and poor preparation.
In writing, our preparation is the character fraught with insecurity and winning security once their identity is discovered. What is sensitive to our protagonist? Where is it most sensitive? When? This will expose our protagonist and give readers a clue as to these insecurities even in the case that our narrator is an unreliable storyteller. Like someone who chews their food around a bad tooth. We see the startled pain of a misplaced bite and the frozen, cautious expression on their 'face', even in subtlety. Creating insecurity in a character is not difficult, it's choosing the path and reaction of fear.
When a protagonist is confident in who they are, they no longer negotiate their morality, are indecisive or defend their position. They do what has been created in them to do. Right or wrong, they deftly act despite criticism, threats or bodily harm.
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