People too high minded about dignity?

Affable

You always hear about 'keeping ones dignity', and 'the dignity of work' etc etc.

My question is are people too high minded about dignity? Is it just a fashionable concept to throw around? After all, what is so admirable about total control of the emotions, can't it be often taken to a dehumanising, cold level? Isn't it very close to self-importance?

DadaKopf

What do you think? What do you mean by 'dignity'?

Joe1919

Do you not know that there comes a midnight hour when every one has to throw off his mask? Do you believe that life will always let itself be mocked? Do you think you can slip away a little before midnight in order to avoid this? Or are you not terrified by it? I have seen men in real life who so long deceived others that at last their true nature could not reveal itself;... In every man there is something which to a certain degree prevents him from becoming perfectly transparent to himself; and this may be the case in so high a degree, he may be so inexplicably woven into relationships of life which extend far beyond himself that he almost cannot reveal himself. But he who cannot reveal himself cannot love, and he who cannot love is the most unhappy man of all." - Soren Kierkegaard, Either/Or II.146

I think the above quote goes some way to answering your question. Most people 'wear masks' i.e. they hide their emotions in the same way as they wear clothes to hide their bodies.
Why? I think the biblical idea of 'The Fall' is a great metaphor to explain this. There may have been a time when human were un-selfconscious, naked and innocent (without guilt). We lived metaphorically in a Garden of Eden. As our brains developed, (we ate from the tree of knowledge) we became self-conscious of our own imperfections, both physically and mentally (emotionally) and this causes us to be guilty of our 'original sin'. (Perhaps our original sin is our own imperfections in this context ).

Many people today are unhappy when they stand naked in front of a mirror and we are similarly often unhappy with who we are. We lack self acceptance. We feel that if we become more emotionally, we will reveal who we truly are and others won't accept us. We will become undignified or lacking in any value or worth.

We feel that if we cover our bodies and hide our emotions, we will be worth more in the eyes of others and this perhaps gives us dignity by making us feel more valualable.. Others wont be able to see who we really are.

One of the great thing about being intimate or 'falling in love' with another is that we reveal ourselves both physically and emotionally to the other. We regain our lost innocence. We metaphorically speaking go back to the Garden of Eden where life was un-inhibited and good. Perhaps this is why there is some attraction in getting stupidified with drink. We can, for a short while let go of reason and become the emotional person that we really want to be.

Affable

DadaKopf wrote: »

What do you think? What do you mean by 'dignity'?

http://www.quebecoislibre.org/05/050515-16.htm

Dignity as virtuousness of character-read the bottom bit there, that's what I take it to mean. There are other explanations of it there too that are of interest.

a5y

Affable wrote: »

My question is are people too high minded about dignity?

I'm inclined to say yes, people do act too dignified.



Not to mention the indignities of old age. Dignity is one of those things you cannot really value until you've lost it.

Standman

I think dignity is subjective and shouldn't be applied from one person to another.

StormWarrior

I think this whole concept of dignity causes some people to look down their noses at others.

Somnus

StormWarrior wrote: »

I think this whole concept of dignity causes some people to look down their noses at others.

Thats true. I'm sure there are plenty of people who keep a firm reign on how they behave in public and look down on others who are more expressive.

But,like everything, its subjective

sinnerboy

Dignity is projected onto to a person by others .

When a certain british boxer wore a monocle and expressed himself in a manner in which i suppose he thought an ex public shoolboy expresses himself .... well he is just ridiculous .

Another boxer ( where's Harry ? ) can talk all apples and pears and because he is not contrived in any way - he is dignified .

Mrs Bouquett from Keeping up Apearances is a fine comic example of the hopelessnes of trying to command dignity .

You attain it by not seeking it . By not thinking of it .

Miacc

a5y wrote: »

I'm inclined to say yes, people do act too dignified.



Not to mention the indignities of old age. Dignity is one of those things you cannot really value until you've lost it.

Ha hA! Maybe we were never born to be dignified :P