Friday, March 16, 2012

The Right to Respect... Dignity


Many country's constitutions use the word 'dignity' but few use the word 'respect.'
Which should it be:  Right to Respect or Right to Dignity?

Maybe, ask:
1) what is the real difference between dignity and respect?
and
2) what do we want to achieve with this right?

Every person is precious.




37 comments:

Fidela said...

The Right to Dignity:
Dignity and respect are very similar. Dignity is the result of being treated with respect. We want to achieve respect as a human being through integrity, fairness, equality, and accountability. Fidela.

Anonymous said...

Dignity is an honoralbe quailty, of worthiness. Respect is to show honor or esteem. I say this to my boys all the time "The only thing you have as a man is your word, if you don't have that you have nothing." I strongly believe what you achieve with this right, is everything you are as a human being. When we take away this right from people, you leave them with nothing. Take their money, their land, and their home but never their dignity and respect. TL

Anonymous said...

Well respect you can give and you can receive but, no one can give you dignity and you cannot give it either. yml.

Anonymous said...

Without respect there would be no dignified soul in the world. Respect "breeds" dignity in a sense, and should therefore be the foremost right in relation to the respect/dignity dilemma. The desired result -in my opinion- of the right to respect would be ultimately equality among all beings. JAY

Anonymous said...

so i would have to agree with yml .You can’t give dignity you can only show it. Dignity is something that’s natural it isn’t like you can you go out and buy it. A.H

Anonymous said...

Dignity is something you can control. You as an individual ore the only one that can lose your dignity. Others can't take it away from you. Respect is something others have to give you. Each and every human has the right to dignity and the right to respect. In my opinion respect ought to be earned. I mean everyone has the right to a basic level of respect and to be treated right. But real respect, can only be earned. MBS

Anonymous said...

Reading this post, I became curious as to what the difference between dignity and respect really is. I have provided the links to the dictionary definitions of both words below. It was interesting to see the difference between what I thought the words meant personally and what the dictionary says they mean. SAS
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/dignity?s=t
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/respect?s=t

Anonymous said...

Dignity is a quality that you give yourself and hold up to. Respect is the response received from others when they acknowledge your dignity. leiva

Anonymous said...

Gaining dignity is the result of gaining respect. So they use dignity so you hold yourself at a higher standard. Because the ones that are distinguished amongst their peers, also have their respect.

Anonymous said...

Respect is the worth or excellence of a person but dignity is a sign or token of respect. I think that the right to respect is what we should use because in order for you to have dignity for someone you must have respect for them first.-I.C.

Anonymous said...

Dignity is a quality for being worthy of respect. Respect is given when people's actions and behaviors are aligned with society's moral values. Loss of morality may equal loss of dignity. Where are you from?
-ALB

Anonymous said...

It seems as if they are one and the same. You can't have one without the other. Respect is how you think people should treat each other. Dignity is your sense of value and right to that respect.
K.R

Anonymous said...

Respect and Diginity work together. Respect is how you preform and the way people look back at you for your actions. Dignity on the other hand is all the respect you have earned. I t shows that you are respected and you are a worthy person and that is something no one can take away from you.
ABL

Anonymous said...

I would say the right to respect. Respect is the foundation to many rights. In order to have dignity one must show respect for that to show that. Also we all should have some respect. Because no one ever knows what the other has going on in the their personal lives.
-jpg

Anonymous said...

It should stay as dignity. One should never be stripped of their dignity. If they are stripped of dignity, they will lose a lot of self-value as a person, along with other things. In the other hand, respect, is more of an earned right rather than a must-have right. Respect can be interpret in many ways, but it usually is given to someone in a certain socioeconomic status, or if it is earned.
AG

Anonymous said...

I agree with the right to respect... dignity. I believe that dignity is preserving or upholding one’s status quo and maintaining a public image of one’s self. Whereas, respect is about being treated equal. I also believe that if people would respect one another more than building their dignity, it would be a more peaceful world.
M.D.L.

Anonymous said...

Respect is courtesy and recognition given by others no matter where you come from, what you look like, or what you believe in. Dignity is more personal and is needed is this world today just as respect. However, with dignity and pride, people can overcome all disrespect that has been given in this world.-S.S.

RCW said...

The Right to Respect:
the right to respect for private life, family life, home and correspondence. In seeing that actions speak louder than words. Giving respect is something that definetly has more substance.

Anonymous said...

Dignity and respect are two values many people try to live by. Respect is something we are taught to have. Respecting authorities, our parents and our teachers. Dignity on the other hand is something that we will encounter along the way and not everyone will be able to hold up to it. JJ

The Wandering Light said...

Is it possible to give up your dignity for a greater cause? Would you choose to receive respect for losing your dignity, or retain your dignity but receive no respect?

Anonymous said...

Respect is admiration given by others. Dignity is a status that represents nobility and honor. These 2 definitons combine represents virtue/intergity.During the bibilical ages, King Solomon quoteds these word in the book of proverbs so man can gain character and wisdom within ourselves.-Brett J

Anonymous said...

To value yourself, is dignity. Respect is a positive feeling of esteem or honor for another person. To have both of these rights would make you a better person. These rights are meant to come in pairs because one is not good without the other.
BRM

Anonymous said...

To me, dignity and respect are two different things. They are both fruit but one is a banana and the other is an apple. Respect is treating others how you would like to be treated. Respect is a sense of well being and admiration. Dignity is when a you are shown respect. Every human being has the right to both, but some have lost this right.


JR

Anonymous said...

Self respect is dignity. Having dignity in yourself only helps a person give and receive respect. People who have dignity in themselves tend to treat others fairly and respectfully, because they want to be treated the same way.
G.C.

Anonymous said...

Dignity is something that comes with the person. Respect is earned by that person's actions. Us as a society are entitle to respect others but the way i see it is: Respect to be respected. Dignity has nothing to do with that, although in the majority of cases a person with dignity also has respect.
S.A.

Mr.Drama said...

Respect and dignity are both similar, but I do believe there is one core characteristic that differentiates the two. Respect can be expressed toward both oneself (internally) as well as others. I believe dignity, however, can only be expressed toward oneself.

Anonymous said...

Dignity and respect don't have much of a difference. I do believe you have to build respect before you are dignified. -SKT

Anonymous said...

I think there is a relation between dignity and respect. Basically what you give is what you receive if you treat others with respect you receive respect, if you treat others with dignity they will treat you as well. I truly believe every human being has the right of dignity no matter race, religion or economic status, we all are sons of God and deserve dignity and respect.
BY ASR

Anonymous said...

Respect is the giving of a particular attention to one judged worthy of esteem; a recognition and due regard for a thing or, especially, for another person, his qualities, achievements, office, position, or authority.
Dignity, according to a dictionary, is the quality or state of being worthy, honored, or esteemed.Stripping a person of dignity can be more brutal than inflicting physical blows. Difference between the two is you can respect a the position, title or authority of a person, however, not have feelings of honor, or esteemed to that individual. Respect can be given to a stranger on the road but dignity most be earned.-YEM

Anonymous said...

There must be a balance between the two, “respect” is an attitude or a feeling of admiration towards someone, something, to an opinion or an ideal; it is a sense of consideration provided while “dignity” is self-respect, considering yourself and being proud of who you are.
AYS

Anonymous said...

I believe in dignity. Respect is what your parents teach you to show others, dignity is what you work your entire life to earn and accomplish.
CP

Anonymous said...

-Dignity and respect or similiar, but than again very much different. Dignity is what you will or will not do....its your pride. While respect is something thats given by someone else when earned.-J.D.

Anonymous said...

In my opinion I think that dignity is something that you can use only for yourself. But respect on the other hand works both ways. Where you can say to someone “I have a lot of respect for you”, I don’t think you can use the dignity in the same way. E.P.C

Anonymous said...

Dignity and respect go hand in hand. Dignity is something you hold up for yourself, your own dignity. Respect is given or received by others. Therefore, right to respect is more important in my opinion. SC

Anonymous said...

The man spoke to the servant the same exact way he spoke to the owner of the mansion in which the servant spent her days, cleaning and cooking. Perfect example of respcet. We all deserve to be respected equally, no matter what our social standard is. We were all created equally and with an individual purpose to acomplish.

SR

Anonymous said...

Dignity is to preserve ones self worth to himself
Respect is to deserve ones self worth to the world
-Ali

Anonymous said...

It should be the right to dignity because you can respect someone and still not treat them like they should be treated. You are just doing it like a courtesy.
True respect is essential for any meaningful relationship.
I believe dignity is more for self, it is in the eye of the beholder.
In a perfect or harmonious world we would like to accomplish a society where no matter what, we are all treated fair and equal. Then i woke up
dgon4321