Important principles of civil society and any democratic state include the protection of the rights and interests of man and citizen. Human rights should be understood as a set of universal rules that are aimed at ensuring the freedom and dignity of any person.
While it is not difficult to understand the concept of “freedom,” the answer to the question related to the definition of “personal dignity” largely remains open. What “personal dignity” is, what its role is in the structure of human rights and freedoms, as well as the mechanisms for its protection will be discussed further in this article.
A little about the concept
The term can be characterized not only from a legal, but also from a moral point of view. As the latter, it is a complex of moral characteristics inherent in the individual. As a legal aspect, this is a benefit that is intangible. It belongs to all people. It cannot be inherited or taken away.
You can often come across the word “self-dignity.” Then we are talking about the individual’s desire for self-respect, coupled with the presence of conscious principles of morality and ethics.
But it must be noted that the concept is not synonymous with narcissism. Indeed, in the first case, we are talking about respect directed at us and helping to build positive relationships with members of society and at the same time fight for our rights and defend our point of view.
Narcissistic people put themselves first. For them, moral values are unlikely to matter, especially when they do not correspond to the goals and plans they have set.
A worthy person respects not only his own person, but also all participants in society. This is characterized by his behavior, where the priority is politeness, delicacy, intelligence and truthfulness. Such individuals have developed willpower and excellent spiritual traits. They do not criticize others or gossip, but at the same time they are capable of sober assessment of personality and awareness of their importance. Therefore, they do not accept outside opinions, if they differ from theirs, as reliable.
When a person values himself, he is free from stereotypical opinions and social prejudices, he is truly independent and will achieve success both personally and professionally. This is what dignity means.
Human integrity
The meaning of the word “integrity”, according to the explanatory dictionary: one that is whole, monolithic, indestructible, strong, united.
We can talk about the integrity of a person, meaning the harmonious unity of her physical, mental, spiritual and moral life. If a person teaches a healthy lifestyle and high moral values during the day, and at night and until the morning “buzzes” in a nightclub, picking up girls of easy virtue, then it is difficult to talk about the integrity of such a person.
The integrity of a person is the harmonious unity of her physical, mental, spiritual and moral life.
Vinnie looked at the tree and thought: if I don’t climb it and take some honey from the hive, then I’m not a real bear. A real bear should not miss a single hive!
But there are bees there, and they bite. And the Owl considers this tree his own and will be extremely dissatisfied.
So Vinnie sat in front of the tree for the third day and thought, thought, thought. He was just cracking! He was pulled in all directions.
Vinnie is tired of it. He came to an agreement with himself: he is a bear! He must devastate all the hives on his way! And they always come to an agreement with Owl.
Now Vinny no longer hesitated. He acted. And today he will have honey!
A holistic personality can be compared to ready-made borscht - take it and eat it, unlike meat, cabbage, potatoes and beets. Personal integrity presupposes the correspondence of the content of a person’s inner life and his external activities.
Speaking about the internal integrity of a person, we mean a person’s ability in critical situations to maintain his life strategy, to remain committed to his life positions and value orientations.
Personal integrity is spoken of when a person has the courage to look at things realistically, draw their own conclusions and, if necessary, speak up about it, including resisting external pressure. This is a person who has a stable worldview and value system. This is a person who is not tormented by contradictions, who has peace and confidence inside.
It's not scary when the world collapses around you - it's scary when it collapses inside you Vlad Deckert
All guilt is a state of being lost in the past; all anxiety is a state of being lost in the future. Ken Wilber
What does the concept include?
This is an internal moral category meaning self-respect. This is an integral, innate property, inherent from birth - to treat yourself with respect, regardless of the opinions of society and others.
The term is very closely related to “morality”, which determines the value of any of us. It is this characteristic that allows you to feel useful and necessary for society, even if the circumstances in life are not the best.
The trait is particularly significant for everyone and at the same time it is individual and cannot be taught. But if it is poorly developed, then it can be educated, since a deficiency leads to a decrease in living standards.
But in addition to personal belonging, the feeling also has social significance. It is important because a person respects others too. And the totality of worthy people is the ideal to which any state strives.
It is dignity that allows an individual to be confident in himself and his capabilities, as well as in his actions and activities. The result of this is the internal harmony of one’s own “I” with a positive assessment of society. And this, in turn, gives a feeling of happiness and completeness.
This state can inspire, motivate for new exploits and achieve success in all endeavors. Therefore, it can be called fundamental for personal growth.
Everyone’s self-respect also manifests itself in public life. Such people will not tarnish their honor, will responsibly complete their assigned tasks and will maintain their duty to their homeland, parents and offspring. In extreme situations, it will help you act quickly and competently to save yourself and others.
Psychologist Daria Milai
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A worthy person adheres to established laws and moral principles, because this is the essence of honoring others. Thanks to this feeling, she will help the poor and needy, and will not refuse support to those who really need it.
The main features included in this definition:
- sincerity;
- honesty;
- activity;
- strength of will;
- sociability;
- attentiveness;
- determination;
- kindness;
- responsibility;
- ability to quickly adapt;
- discipline.
By the way, it is these characteristics that employers pay attention to. Thanks to numerous studies, psychologists have developed special tests to determine an individual's advantages. These are the ones you should make your strengths when communicating with bosses, relatives or new acquaintances.
But if specific features are good for some, will they be as useful for others? For example, if courage and perseverance are important to gentlemen, would they be equally valuable to all girls?
Examples of the concept of human dignity
Due to the presence of gender differences, the property is also expressed differently. Therefore, when cultivating this characteristic in yourself, this fact should be taken into account. But if you don’t know where to start and how to improve the quality of your life, then in personal consultations I will help you cope with these difficulties and draw up the right action plan.
Male representatives
The most striking example of manifestation is the performance of military duty in difficult times for the state or the protection of the country due to professional affiliation.
In all eras, the military was considered the ideal of male dignity. After all, these individuals have a concept of duty. They are ready to give their lives to protect family, friends and even strangers.
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The term about the honor of a warrior includes not only protection of his homeland, but also respect for the state flag, strict execution of orders regardless of the circumstances.
Another option is endurance and strength competitions. After all, defeating an opponent of equal or superior strength is also a manifestation of the characteristic under discussion.
In a similar way, the gentleman wants to prove his merit in respect and recognition. In addition, the competition strictly follows the principles of fairness and parity.
Even if a man does not work as a rescuer, it is he who will rush to provide assistance in an extreme situation. Actions such as rescuing people from a fire or rescuing a drowning person indicate that a gentleman is capable of being responsible and can help those in need at any time.
Women
Since ancient times, it has been believed that the main advantage of female representatives is the ability to be a gentle and caring wife and mother. How well she manages to support the family hearth gives the girls a sense of their own worth and worth.
If a woman has self-respect and clearly knows her needs, then she will always have a worthy companion with her. After all, these qualities help her achieve balance in her relationship with her lover.
In the case when she knows how to value not only herself and her choice, the man will feel supported and caring. And this will inspire him to new exploits and make him want to be the best for his chosen one.
For children, this definition of dignity is a serious life guide. As a rule, in such families a child grows up who subsequently follows the same attitudes and retains only positive character traits.
A decent woman will not gossip, judge or criticize. Since she respects her personality, wasting her resources on negative conversations is not for her. In her speech she does not use profanity or rudeness, and her gestures and facial expressions will not seem vulgar to anyone.
Such a person is capable of showing respect for someone else's appearance, views and actions. At the same time, she takes care of herself, tries to be well-groomed and beautiful. After all, wrinkled clothes, disheveled hair, a bad smell are things that often cause hostility. Love and self-respect are manifested precisely in taking care of yourself and your appearance. And this is the first thing that catches the eye of others.
Meaning
This property pushes a person to make the right decisions, to demonstrate nobility in both actions and behavior, and also contributes to the recognition of the individual by society and the achievement of success not only in his career, but also in his personal life.
At all times, decent character has been highly valued in society. Especially when it took place in critical cases. This concept is important for a social system in the sense that the more such people there are in it, the more perfect it is.
We should talk not only about the moral side of the issue, but also about the legal one. The article on the protection of honor and dignity is prescribed in the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation (Article 152). It provides all Russian citizens with the prerogative to protect their own interests in court.
Let me give you an example. From time to time, the media publish articles that defame media personalities. Publications of an offensive nature may be recognized in court as a violation of the law, provided that the falsehood of the information is proven.
A person who has been publicly defamed may demand the publication of a refutation, as well as compensation for moral damages or damages.
But the Criminal Code also touches on this issue. These types of crimes include situations where people are kidnapped or illegally deprived of their liberty, sold into slavery, slandered or hospitalized without their consent.
How does it relate to self-esteem?
These two concepts are closely related, but also have some differences. Thus, respect for a person is an attitude towards oneself as an individual who has a specific set of personal characteristics and properties, as well as, albeit subjective, an assessment of one’s significance. It is how an individual perceives the inner self.
Self-esteem is the acceptance of good moral traits that influence an individual’s behavior in society and contact with others. That is, the orientation here occurs towards the external environment. A worthy person will respect himself, and non-acceptance entails a devaluation of moral qualities.
A fine line
After looking through the list of a person’s advantages and disadvantages, you should understand what the difference is between these concepts. In fact, the line is thin. Let's look at the example of generosity and frugality. A person with a salary of 30 thousand rubles. donated 5% of income to charity. As a result, the family spent 1,500 rubles to help those in need. The cost seemed acceptable to everyone. Then the individual’s salary was raised five times, and he began to receive 150 thousand rubles. But now he cannot give 5% to charity, since his wife thinks that her husband has become wasteful. Opinions about good and bad qualities are subjective. All people judge from their own position, and even friends cannot always understand and accept the characteristic bad quality of an old acquaintance. To summarize, it should be said: do not judge others, lest you be judged.
Respect for human dignity is
Any citizen has the right to be valued by the state, its individual bodies and structures, as well as members of society.
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The article of the Constitution of the Russian Federation states that this property of a person is protected by state power and there are no grounds to diminish it. This law implies that everyone has the following privileges:
- Protection from violent, tortured and humiliating acts directed at them, as well as from cruelty.
- The opportunity to voluntarily refuse experiments, both medical and scientific.
- Freedoms are available regardless of gender, age, financial status, beliefs in religion and politics.
- Own defense in court if these norms have been violated.
Risks of inadequate heart rate
Without developing this quality, a person can get:
- lack of confidence in one's actions;
- shame for your words;
- susceptibility to manipulation by others;
- depressive moods;
- low social status;
- low ambitions, and at the same time – a complete lack of aspirations and achievements.
This psychological pathology (and this is undoubtedly a big mistake when raising a child) leads to dissonance in every area of life, and at the same time to a constant bad mood and negative thinking.
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How can you develop this trait?
The formation of quality occurs in childhood under the influence, first of all, of the family. And already in adulthood this category can be called formed, but it is not yet stable. Therefore, it is possible to both lose a feeling (for example, when frustration is felt for a long time) and improve it.
Dignity manifests itself in a positive attitude towards oneself, so work must begin from this moment. To begin with, it is advisable to assess your own personality as honestly and objectively as possible. It may be worth seeking help from loved ones who will point out your positive and negative characteristics.
This point is important because during it a person determines who he really is, moving away from the imposed opinions of society and taking this assessment under internal control. When an individual takes upon himself the courage to recognize and accept himself with all his shortcomings, it gives a powerful charge of energy and sets him on the path of change. The main thing is that the desire for them is determined by personal needs, and not for the convenience of others.
I recommend keeping a notebook where you can write down all your successes, victories and good qualities. Re-read your notes to improve your self-esteem.
Resist the urge to compare yourself to others. It’s better to do this with yourself: between who you were and who you have become now. You can work in several directions:
- turn off news on social networks, where there are photos of people’s success;
- review such information in order to extract your own needs and wants from negative feelings.
By the way, you should listen to your “wants”. And try to implement them as often as possible. If you start postponing happiness for the sake of others, this will slow down the process of developing dignity. After all, it turns out that they deserve joy more than you. And this is not at all true.
Often parents teach their children modesty and hiding their achievements and plans. But such tactics of action lead to the fact that a person begins to value himself much less. He seems to shrink himself in size, telling about his success only to his close circle. And this is wrong, because self-esteem is a sincere story about your victories and acceptance of praise. How you present yourself to society determines how it will treat you.
Deceit
How does a person evaluate his own qualities? A person notices his own strengths and weaknesses, but rarely corrects them. Why? Changing character is a difficult internal work that not every person can master. Most people prefer to engage in self-deception and indulge themselves in the illusion that those around them love them for who they are. The main problem of such persons is deceit. People use this approach always and everywhere. A person who is used to lying about little things will do it even where it is absolutely inappropriate. Therefore, if you catch a person in a lie, think about whether you should trust him. If you yourself are in the habit of embellishing everyday stories to make them seem more interesting, unlearn it. A bad habit can undermine the trust of others in you.
