When did we abandon the concept of dignity in the west?
I’m not talking about being dignified, though those who strive for it certainly help. And I’m not even talking about self-referential dignity. The truth is that I think that almost everyone, regardless of how they actually carry themselves, believes that they have dignity.
I’m talking about seeing and accepting the dignity of others. The dignity of being different than we think they ought to be. The dignity of acceptance of people who are thin or fat, who have religion or don’t, who are of any color or culture, who date outside of perceived norms, who have kinks or who are vanilla, who dress modestly or outrageously.
When did it become the norm to judge everyone who isn’t you? I wish we’d all allow one another room to be. I wish we accepted the concept of dignity of everyone, even those with whom we deeply disagree. I wish we all spent more time focused on making our own lives what we wish they were, and that we held good hope for the others around us.
I wish we believed in dignity again.