The belief
Every human being deserves dignity from the moment they are born. Not dignity you earn, and not the polite fake kind. The basic, real kind, the same for everyone.
Where it comes from
My mom taught me to look people in the eyes when they talk to me. It took me years to understand what she was really teaching: when I look at someone’s eyes, I see a person who has needs, just like I do, and who deserves respect, just like I do. Not their clothes, their skin, or their job. A person.
How it shows up for me
It’s why I name people in my writing instead of saying “all men,” “all women,” or “billionaires.” Naming individuals is how we stop blaming whole groups for what a few people do. It’s also why it bothers me when someone calls a job “low-skilled.” The cashier keeping us fed is doing work that matters.
And I fail at this, often when I’m angry. I’ve called strangers names. I’ve caught myself blaming a whole group mid-sentence, and in one essay I left the slip in on purpose, because we all do it and we need to practice catching it. Believing in dignity doesn’t make me good at it. It gives me something to come back to.
Go next
- Front Row to the End of the World, where I name names.
- Honesty, which is how I catch myself.