Dignity is associated with ethics and morality.
From the Latin dignitas , dignity is the quality of worthiness . This adjective refers to what is corresponding or proportionate to the merit of someone or something , and can also indicate that someone is deserving of something or that a thing has an acceptable level of quality .
Dignity is related to the excellence , gravity and decorum of people in their way of behaving. A subject who behaves with dignity is someone with high morals , ethical sense and honorable actions.
Dignity, a human quality
In its deepest sense, dignity is a human quality that depends on rationality and refers to the theory that ensures that human beings are capable of changing their lives based on free will and the exercise of individual freedom; In the best of cases, this change is made to improve your situation. According to this idea, dignity is linked to the autonomy and self-sufficiency of man who governs himself with righteousness and honesty.
Freedom is possible through education , which allows people to make decisions based on knowledge and using the fullness of their intelligence . Of course, other issues concern an individual's freedom and, therefore, their dignity: housing, work, access to the health system, etc.
If a person is stripped of these basic rights, his or her dignity is said to have been violated; not because of the person's will, but because they cannot exercise their freedom. Dignity implies recognition of the human condition and respect .
Those who live in poverty see their dignity violated.
Different meanings
At first glance, it is clear that the term dignity has two very different meanings: one of them denotes the achievement of a series of vital objectives , given the principles of each society; The other is much more flexible, since it refers to being worthy of possession or the affection or respect of another person, among other things. In the first case, the meaning is framed in certain social conditions, which means that not all inhabitants of the same country share its definition.
Take for example the concept of decent housing. What exactly does it refer to? First of all, it must present an acceptable level of hygiene , which leads us to another preconception, which also needs to be clarified: in a hygienic house there is no waste outside the relevant buckets or bags, kitchen utensils are washed every day , bathrooms are disinfected regularly and floors and windows are cleaned frequently, collecting dust and eliminating bacteria to prevent potential infections for its inhabitants.
It is clear that the majority of people in a Western society agree with these requirements, but that does not necessarily indicate that it is the best way to maintain a home . Continuing with the idea of decent housing, it is expected that it can be cool in hot times and, above all, warm in the colder months. To do this, technology offers us different options, and many opt for air conditioning systems and gas stoves. Again, a minority could oppose the use of these devices, promoting a more natural and ecological way of withstanding extreme temperatures; but language only responds to the needs of the largest group, precisely that which will ignore and deform it until it is stripped of its dignity .
Adjectives derived from the term dignity
Regarding the adjective form (worthy, dignified, etc.), it can be used with different weights and not necessarily in a serious context.
" I don't know if I'm worthy of you giving me all this... But don't think I'm going to reject it ", " Sometimes I think I'm not worthy of being loved like this, and I don't understand why he stays by my side " and « This movie is worth seeing more than once » are phrases that show these uses.