Hard. And I maintain that the only thing that cannot be taken away from them is their dignity. Property, security, freedom, integrity—all of that is gone in such a situation. The dignity inherent in every human being can only be surrendered by the victim themselves.
I always thought like that... Until now!
Yes, dignity, according to Oxford:
If we talk about this definition, it's quite circumstantial.
But another one:
It can be debatable...
And yet another one:
Treated ethically???? A big, big question mark!!!
Tell me, what do you think. There comes a time that one lets go of everything... What remains is: faith and the steadfastness in that faith (whatever that is) and principles; if we define it as dignity, then yes that's inherent and it cannot be taken away....
Unless we are talking about something else...
Of course, the concept of “dignity” is multidimensional. I myself have stumbled over the various definitions—ethical, legal, colloquial, etc. And yet dignity is something else, something deeper. It remains with you even when you are exploited, humiliated, abused. It remains with you in captivity, in war, on your deathbed. It is within you; it takes place internally. It is therefore invulnerable. For me, it has nothing to do with behaving with dignity or being worthy of something. Dignity is, so to speak, the inner core of a personality...
Well, if you phrase it this way!
I just hope that this inner core is made up of values... And principles, and not otherwise!!!
No, Maan. It's unconditional.
Now that we have established this:
Dignity is not a reward for good behavior, nor a privilege that can be granted or revoked. It is an intrinsic moral quality that every human being possesses simply by virtue of being human. It does not depend on wealth, status, race, religion, or political standing.
If dignity is intrinsic, how then do we reconcile this truth with the horror of genocide — with the ongoing atrocities inflicted upon innocent people? Are the victims not equal bearers of dignity? Of course they are. Their dignity remains intact, even when their lives, homes, and bodies are destroyed. What is stripped away is not their inherent worth, but the perpetrators’ recognition of that worth.
Here, I come again:
Dignity is inherent, but its treatment in society is circumstantial. Every person possesses it by nature, yet in practice it depends on whether others choose to recognize or disregard it.
There is no people more dignified than those who endure relentless suffering yet refuse to surrender their ground. Their steadfastness, their unshaken resolve in the face of death, and their courage to bear it all without moving an inch — that is the truest dignity (in this particular instance).
But if you ask me: they are stripped of their dignity by their oppressors, and yet they continue to embody it in ways that the oppressors can never erase.
Edit: Please don’t mind me… all of this is coming from a very wretched place. My heart is overflowing, shattered by all that is happening. The holocaust in real timeline. With every image, every cry, every story, it feels as though my chest can barely contain the weight. I am feeling so many things all at once.
I don't hold anything against you—I applaud you! In this comment, you sum up what I probably couldn't express very well.
No one can be robbed of their dignity. But one can give it up oneself, like all those mercenaries or perpetrators who decided to commit unspeakable atrocities. Whether this is done of their own accord or on orders is irrelevant.
Take care of yourself, Maan! Resilience is important for mental balance. You are letting a lot get to you at the moment. Don't let yourself be completely overwhelmed... Greetings from the tiny village in the tiny country on the other side of the globe ;-))