In the wake of the passing of Rev. Jesse Jackson, a clip of his leading youngsters in the chant “I am somebody” has been circulating. It reminded me of the late mayor of New York City, Ed Koch, who famously walked New York City streets asking all he met, “How am I doing?”

I was always troubled by the mayor’s question, as he should have asked, “How are you doing?” And as powerful as Jackson’s declaration was, I have similarly wondered whether it should have been expanded—not only “I am somebody,” but also “You are somebody.”

After all, in that gathering of students, when everyone declared “I am somebody,” it necessarily meant that the person next to me—the you beside me—is also somebody.

It was, of course, critical—a gift of self-affirmation—for Jackson to remind his community that had too often been discriminated against, diminished and treated as second class, to internalize the truth that everybody is a somebody—a person of dignity, of worth, of equal rights. Those words not only taught rights, but confidence in inner potential. They affirmed that within every person’s heart and soul is the capacity to reach for the stars.

Such an understanding is not contrary to the prophet Micah’s call that we “walk humbly with God.” Humility does not mean denying our strengths. Quite the opposite.

True humility means recognizing our inner gifts and potential, while also understanding that those strengths are not ours alone. They are shaped by God and nurtured by parents, teachers, friends and mentors who helped form us. We are gifted, yes, but we are also indebted.

The great Rabbi Hillel understood that awareness of one’s importance is of critical value. In that spirit, he opens his famous maxim with the words, “If I am not for myself, who will be for me?” But he immediately adds: “And if I am only for myself, what is my worth?” In other words, what counts is not only the I, but the you.

Many languages distinguish between a formal and informal “you.” German separates the intimate du from the respectful Sie. After years of friendship, the philosopher Franz Rosenzweig asked his elder colleague Martin Buber for permission to address him as du. Once granted permission, he said that even while speaking du, he would still silently think Sie—a reminder that familiarity should never cancel reverence.

In English, we have only one word, you. Yet even here, there are two ways of relating. There is a “you” that treats the other as an object—someone to be used, someone from whom I extract what I can; what Martin Buber calls the I‒it relationship. In that encounter, the “I” is paramount.

But there is another “you”—a you who is a subject, a person with feelings, fears, hopes and vulnerabilities, what Buber calls the I‒thou relationship. In that encounter, what matters most is not what I gain, but how I give.

In this world, people can be givers or takers. Having reached my 80s, my message to younger generations is simple: Be the givers.

As we grow older, we may no longer always be able to stand on the giving end. There are things we simply cannot do anymore. We must then learn the art of receiving—and that, too, requires humility. But in my lifetime, what I have found most uplifting and fulfilling has been the capacity to give. Giving invites the soul to soar.

Here, Jewish tradition offers a complementary emphasis to the U.S Constitution, which focuses on rights—indeed, on a Bill of Rights. Judaism affirms the language of rights, grounded in the foundational belief that every human being is created in the image of God and possesses equal, unique and infinite value.

At the same time, it places an equally strong emphasis on obligations, on the concept of mitzvah, the 613 commandments that define our responsibilities. In this moral vision, rights are sustained when obligations are honored.

Ultimately, “I am somebody” is measured by “You are somebody.” The truest measure of my worth is the extent to which I help you recognize and realize yours.

The first declares dignity. The second demands responsibility.

“I am somebody” is memorable. “You are somebody” is meaningful.

And together, they form a moral vision worthy of emulation.

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