Dignity is the intrinsic value and worth of a human being. Everyone is born with it, regardless of gender, social status, education, race, religion, creed, and other factors that may distinguish one person from another. The sad news, however, is that we are all vulnerable to having our dignity violated by other people.
Dignity violation comes in many forms. When a man is tortured by other people or by security agents, his dignity is violated. When a woman is raped or forced into other forms of sexual relationship, her dignity is violated. When an individual is socially excluded for any reason, their dignity is violated.
When an individual is put down, ridiculed, humiliated, or embarrassed in front of other people, their dignity is violated. Other examples of dignity violation include labour exploitation, child labour, child abuse in any form, and slavery. Poverty, whether absolute or relative, is also a form of human dignity violation. In short, when someone is treated poorly in any form or any way, it is a violation of their dignity.
Many people consider dignity to mean the same thing as respect. This conception is wrong. Dignity is the intrinsic value and worth of the human being. It is the quality of being worthy of honour. You don’t need to do anything to have it. All human beings are born free and equal in both dignity and rights. Dignity is an inalienable gift by God to man. Therefore, all humans deserve to be treated in a dignified manner, regardless of who they are or what they are.
Respect, on the other hand, is something that you earn, and it can be taken away. If I say I respect you, it means that you must have done something remarkable to earn my respect. I feel admiration for you. It means you are a role model for how I want to live. To respect someone means to show admiration for that person for their abilities, qualities or accomplishments. Others respect you for what you have achieved, and experienced, and how you handle yourself. So, respect is conditional, unlike dignity which is a given.
Many people, regardless of their race, education and social status, do not understand what dignity is, or what it means to treat people with dignity. So we have a collective ignorance about all matters relating to dignity. And because of the ignorance, even good people with good intentions can violate others without knowing it.
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