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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, 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.

Living With Dignity is an attempt to address this ignorance. And as the subtitle of the book suggests, dignity is all about how to treat people, the same way you would like them to treat you. The core elements of dignity discussed in the book include:

Accepting people as they are – people want others to treat them well no matter their race, religion, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation.

Acknowledging people – for their hard work and a job well done.

Safety of people – make people feel safe both physically and psychologically, so they feel free from humiliation.

Validation of people – for the suffering they have endured if maltreated.

Fairness and Justice – treat people in an even-handed way.

Inclusion of People – make people feel a sense of belonging, no matter their social status and where they are.

Understanding other People – do not be in a hurry to judge or condemn people; give them a chance to share their perspective.

Empowerment of people – empower people so they can be independent and avoid micro-managing people.

The benefit of the doubt – give people the benefit of the doubt. Treat them as trustworthy (at least in the first instance).

Taking Responsibility for your actions – be accountable for all of your actions. Apologise when you have caused someone else harm.

Not many people know how to treat others with dignity, even though we are all born with it. You should learn to treat others with dignity and practise it every day.

Dignity education and enlightenment are necessary to avoid calamities in relationships, the workplace, and the society at large. Healthy relationships at all levels are those that are mutually honouring of other's dignity. When people have their dignity violated, it creates conflicts and relationships can suffer.

As mentioned earlier, you need to understand that wounds to human dignity are as real as a physical wound. Research has shown that when others violate our dignity, it shows up in the brain in the same area as a physical wound. Dignity violations are real and very painful and humiliating. We need to protect our vulnerable dignity the same way we protect our physical wellness.

To protect our dignity and the dignity of others requires us to make ourselves vulnerable. For instance, if we make a mistake or violate someone's dignity, our immediate reaction is to save our face and cover up our bad behaviour. Even though we feel we are protecting our image by doing so, the fact is that we are not telling the truth. We are also violating our dignity in the process, not to mention breaking the dignity of other people.

Those who suffer from dignity violation always withdraw from the relationship or they fight with the person who violated them. Another consequence is gossip. When someone's dignity is violated, and they don't feel safe to confront the person who violated them, they resort to gossip. Talking negatively about someone is a quick way of punishing them without having to face him.

Dignity awareness is the result of educating oneself about dignity and the vital role it plays in our lives and relationships. The ignorance of most people about dignity is not surprising because our educational system does not address this critical aspect of our social development.

Hopefully, this book will help you become more aware of how to honour dignity in others and develop the skills necessary to Live with Dignity.

Enjoy your reading.