Can you live without dignity?

[bri89]

I am very interested in how living without “dignity” can affect the psyche; I genuinely believe that for some, prolonged humiliation can be psychologically unendurable, while others can abide it. I was strongly impacted by a story I once heard of how a Russian man who lost his livelihood chose to starve to death in the snow rather than beg for food. Beggary was too much of an affront to his dignity that he chose death instead. For me I am almost certain that I would commit suicide if I ever became homeless because of the subhuman way I would be regarded by others as well as the humiliation of having to scavenge or beg for food and having no access to showers or toilets. Could you endure the undignity(is that a word?) of begging for change in raggedy rank smelling clothes on a crowded street in a large metropolis? Could you endure the undignity and humiliation of a skin disease on your face that caused you no physical pain but was merely disfiguring and elicited stares everyday of your life? I know these are extreme states that are hard to imagine for some people, but please try to go there mentally.

 

[silicasandra]

I am very interested in how living without “dignity” can affect the psyche; I genuinely believe that for some, prolonged humiliation can be psychologically unendurable, while others can abide it. I was strongly impacted by a story I once heard of how a Russian man who lost his livelihood chose to starve to death in the snow rather than beg for food. Beggary was too much of an affront to his dignity that he chose death instead. For me I am almost certain that I would commit suicide if I ever became homeless because of the subhuman way I would be regarded by others as well as the humiliation of having to scavenge or beg for food and having no access to showers or toilets. Could you endure the undignity(is that a word?) of begging for change in raggedy rank smelling clothes on a crowded street in a large metropolis? Could you endure the undignity and humiliation of a skin disease on your face that caused you no physical pain but was merely disfiguring and elicited stares everyday of your life? I know these are extreme states that are hard to imagine for some people, but please try to go there mentally.

I think you are on to something. Think about those who suffer from abuse in relationships - they are constantly told they are worthless and many come to believe it, which is why they struggle so hard to get out of them (besides the other external restraints put on them by their abusers to prevent them from leaving).

The problem with these types of situations, including the ones you describe like destitution or illness, is that an attempt by a person to show kindness or charity - which is actually recognizing the dignity of the person - can be horribly misinterpreted by the person in need. Being in need is often interpreted as a sign of being “less than human” even though we ALL have needs that must be met by others or we will die.

 

[Sillara]

Yes. I have lived without dignity.
It hurt.

 

[GEddie]

There is no dignity in being dead, either.

It’s six of one, half dozen of the other.

ICXC NIKA

 

[1_with_God]

I truly believe that things happen for a reason. Perhaps we suffer from the sin of pride but don’t see it in ourselves. To not live the life that we have to the best of our ability, even if it means sleeping on the street, is a sin. We are to be thankful to our Creator for all things, even the unpleasant ones. Offer it up in reparation for the sins commited against the Sacred Heart of Jesus!

 

[erine]

I have been through being homeless and far worse things than what you mentioned. You don’t kill yourself you are forced to rely on God radically and stop caring what people think. Then you can offer it up.

But yes being told you are without human dignity is excruciating, worse thn other forms of abuse although they send the same message. The church saved me here by explaining that everyone has inherent dignity that doesn’t have to be earned and isn’t based on what you do or don’t do or what happened to you. I actually didn’t know that until the church told me because I thought I didn’t have dignity. This was from abuse and from psychology explaining how defective you are if you are abused, without offering a solution.

Thank you Jesus for offering hope.

 

[po18guy]

The man’s human dignity demanded (of others) that he be fed. His pride refused to allow that to occur.

 

[GratefulFred]

Human Dignity is one of the most basic aspects of life. It must be defended but is too often attacked in so many ways.

Each individual can preserve a most important degree of dignity to the degree that he or she realizes they are truly a child of God. If we forget we belong to God, we can let attacks destroy our dignity.

It is much more than a platitude: Tough times never last. Tough people do. There is always HOPE that the attacks will stop and things will get better. No one need be homeless or hungry forever.

It was Hemingway, I believe, that wrote in his book, A Movable Feast: “Although we lived poor we did not consider ourselves poor for we had our friends and the public library.”

If we never abandon our love of God, never abandon our love of those near us, we can preserve our dignity until God calls us home to Him.

 

[Tony_the_mad]

I have been through being homeless and far worse things than what you mentioned. You don’t kill yourself you are forced to rely on God radically and stop caring what people think. Then you can offer it up.

But yes being told you are without human dignity is excruciating, worse thn other forms of abuse although they send the same message. The church saved me here by explaining that everyone has inherent dignity that doesn’t have to be earned and isn’t based on what you do or don’t do or what happened to you. I actually didn’t know that until the church told me because I thought I didn’t have dignity. This was from abuse and from psychology explaining how defective you are if you are abused, without offering a solution.

Thank you Jesus for offering hope.

No more needs to be said in this thread. Our dignity comes entirely from grace and sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. No one can take it away.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

Could you endure the undignity(is that a word?) of begging for change in raggedy rank smelling clothes on a crowded street in a large metropolis? Could you endure the undignity and humiliation of a skin disease on your face that caused you no physical pain but was merely disfiguring and elicited stares everyday of your life? I know these are extreme states that are hard to imagine for some people, but please try to go there mentally.

Of course I would not endure, mainly because I won’t survive begging or no begging. Ever seen the mortality rates of the poor? It’s not high. Hence, it is why I do everything to keep myself away from being poor. It is why I don’t take wild risks with my money and ensure that whatever future family I will father will be safe from such an ordeal. More than that, I will train my children to keep themselves safe.

If not, how can you call that justice?

On the other hand, it is somewhat of an irony that my kind also get criticized for being financially keen. The reason? We apparently refuse to recognize the dignity of others despite their own lack of foresight. They encourage giving without logical thinking, unaware that the consequences only harm both giver and recipient in the end. In their quest to recognize dignity among the poor, they deny the dignity of those who struggle to avoid their fate.

Frankly, I smell hypocrisy.