“People attain worth and dignity by the multitude of decisions they make from day by day. These decisions require courage. This is why Paul Tillich speaks of courage as ontological—it is essential to our being.”
– Rollo May, The Courage to Create
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“My grandmother instilled in me at an early age the notions of reputation, honor, and dignity. I learned from her, and at school as well, how to distinguish between chakatagir (fate, kismet, or what is written on your forehead) and nkaragir (character, or what is imprinted in you). Over the first, I was told, we had no control, but in the case of nkaragir we were fully responsible and accountable.”
– Vartan Gregorian, The Road to Home: My Life and Times
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Possibly the most important human characteristic.
Dignity.
Dignity allows us to move forward, toward something.
It lets us hold our head high. Not from arrogance but because of something good pushing out from within.
Dignity values our place in the world, and because we do means we can celebrate and encourage others to do the same.
Dignity is not a selfish emotion. It starts with the self but expands to connect us with others.
Dignity is not mysterious. It may feel elusive sometimes, but through actions and practices we can create a dignified self.
Conversations With Quotations 