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Dignity is defined as the quality of being responsible and having respect for oneself and towards others, not allowing other people to demean us.
This moral virtue leads us to numerous reflections on human nature and the limits of freedom and friendship.
Phrases of dignity
Throughout history, many writers and thinkers have spoken about this concept.
In today’s article let’s know the best phrases of dignity and all those famous quotes that bring us closer to this moral value.
1. Dignity does not consist of having honors, but of deserving them. (Aristotle)
The Greek philosopher and his meritocratic conception.
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2. Dignity is priceless. When someone starts giving small concessions, eventually life loses its meaning. (Jose Saramago)
Dignity is not negotiable, according to the Portuguese writer.
3. The ideal man takes on life’s accidents with grace and dignity, making the best of circumstances. (Aristotle)
Facing the designs of life is what makes us worthy human beings.
4. Things have a price and they may be for sale, but people have dignity, which is invaluable and worth much more than things. (Pope Francisco)
The Argentine Pope provides this interesting perspective.
5. Those who can speak of simple things with depth, of great things with dignity, and of moderate things with temperance are eloquent. (Cicero)
About eloquence and communication skills.
6. Any man or institution that tries to strip me of my dignity will fail (Nelson Mandela)
About the superlative dignity of a fighter like Mandela.
7. Where is dignity unless there is honesty? (Cicero)
Another phrase of dignity from the great Latin orator.
8. The dignity of the individual consists in not being reduced to vassalage by the largesse of others. (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)
From the author of The Little Prince.
9. The dignity of human nature requires that we face the storms of life. (Mahatma Gandhi)
Another reflection on addressing problems with integrity.
10. Only morality in our actions can give beauty and dignity to life. (Albert Einstein)
Thought of the German physicist.
11. There are two types of pride, good and bad. “Good pride” represents our dignity and our self-love. “Bad pride” is a mortal sin of superiority that reeks of presumption and arrogance. (John C. Maxwell)
A necessary differentiation to establish good ethical principles.
12. No race can prosper until it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling the field as there is in writing a poem. (Booker T. Washington)
No job is less worthy than another.
13. Through lying, man annihilates his dignity as a man. (Immanuel Kant)
The lies and their moral perfidy.
14. I am the example of what is possible when girls from the beginning of their lives are loved and raised by the people around them. I was surrounded by extraordinary women in my life, who taught me about strength and dignity. (Michelle Obama)
President Obama’s wife talks like this about her childhood.
15. Be strong. Live honorably and with dignity. And when you think you can’t do it anymore, don’t give up. (James Frey)
An ode to the inner strength that drives us towards the future.
16. I prefer to be alone with dignity, than in a relationship where I sacrifice my self-esteem. (Mandy Hale)
In relationships, it is absolutely essential to have dignity.
17. Dignity means that I deserve the best treatment I can receive. (Maya Angelou)
An ambitious maxim.
18. Knowing when to walk away is wisdom. Being able to do things is bravery. Walking away with your head held high is dignity. (Unknown author)
A withdrawal in time…
19. Never compromise who you are for someone. If they don’t love you the way you are, it is better to leave you than to lose your identity. (Unknown author)
Never give up being yourself.
20. Dignity is the ability to stand strong and hold your head high while facing adversity, while also being able to revere elders and crawl with children. Dignity is standing firm in your beliefs without closing your mind to another opinion (Mychal Wynn)
About inner strength.
21. I know about the loss of dignity. I know that when you take away a man’s dignity you create a hole, a deep black hole full of desolation, humiliation, hatred, emptiness, sorrow, misfortune and loss, which becomes the worst hell. (James Frey)
There are situations that are not tolerable.
22. If it’s made for you, you won’t have to beg for it. You will never have to sacrifice your dignity for your destiny. (Unknown author)
Things usually come by themselves, or almost.
23. Whoever is worthy of your love will never put you in a situation where you feel that you must sacrifice your dignity, your integrity, or your self-esteem, to be with that person. (Unknown author)
Love can never compromise dignity.
24. No matter what people take from you, never let them take away your pride and dignity. (Unknown author)
An unbreakable moral principle.
25. A true woman is one who does not fall apart when she knows that the only man she has ever loved is in love with another woman. She doesn’t make a fuss about anything, she doesn’t cry about anything, and she never shows her tears to anyone. She just goes on with her life, full of grace and dignity. (Aarti Khurana)
About the inalienable dignity of women.
26. The hardest kind of beauty to find comes from within, from strength, courage and dignity. (Ruby Dee)
An intrinsic force to each person.
27. There is dignity in your being, even if there is humiliation in what you do. (Tariq Ramadan)
One of those phrases of dignity that invite us to reflect.
28. Friendships that are made to last are those where each friend respects the dignity of the other, to the point of not really wanting anything from the other. (Cyril Connolly)
Reflection of the British literary critic.
29. Humility is the ability to renounce pride and still retain dignity. (Vanna Bonta)
A nice description of this personal value.
30. Dignity and pride are not only different feelings, but in a certain way, they are also opposites. You can despise your pride to preserve your dignity, and you can destroy your dignity because of your pride. (Lugina Sgarro)
The paradox between these two values.
31. When an individual protests against society’s rejection of recognizing his dignity as a human being, his sole act of protest confers dignity. (Bayard Rustin)
The manifestation of injustice is an act of dignity.
32. Dignity is like a perfume. Those who use it are rarely aware of it. (Christina from Sweden)
Great metaphor that contains a tremendous reality.
33. Personal dignity must be measured with the yardstick of one’s own conscience, not through the judgment of other people. (Fausto Cercignani)
Dignity phrase of the Italian philologist.
34. Our vanity is the constant enemy of our dignity. (Sophie Swetchine)
His nemesis, his adversary.
35. Maturity is the ability to think and act, with your feelings within the limits of dignity. The measure of your maturity is how spiritual you have become in the midst of your frustrations. (Samuel Ulman)
Reflection of the American businessman and poet.
36. The most luxurious possession, the most valuable treasure that everyone has, is their personal dignity. (Jackie Robinson)
A baseball myth leaves us with this valuable reflection.
37. Self-love is the fruit of discipline. The sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself. (Abraham Joshua Heschel)
The Polish rabbi spoke thus about self-love and dignity.
38. The ultimate goal of all revolutionary social change must be to establish the sanctity of human life, the dignity of the human being, and the right of every human being to freedom and well-being. (Emma Goldman)
Reflection from one of the greatest representatives of feminism.
39. Fighting for justice against corruption is never easy. This requires harm to us and our loved ones. In the end, I believe, as it is in my case, that the price we pay is worth it to hold on to our dignity. (Frank Serpico)
A reflection on the sacrifices necessary to help others.
40. When we talk about human dignity, we cannot make concessions. (Angela Merkel)
A declaration in favor of the fundamental rights of people.
41. I accept my fate, whatever it may be, but I will fight for my honor and my dignity. (Ferninand Marcos)
Regardless of the circumstances, we can decide whether to make an effort or not.
42. From the depths of need and desolation, people can work together, they can organize to solve their own problems and meet their own needs with dignity and strength. (Cesar Chavez)
Cooperation is a human capacity that makes us unique.
43. Homophobia is like racism, anti-Semitism, and other forms of intolerance that seek to dehumanize a large group of people to deny their humanity, dignity, and quality as people. (Coretta Scott King)
Reflection on social phenomena that seek to degrade the rights of minorities.
44. As men and women become more educated, the value system should improve, and respect for human dignity and human life should be greater. (Ellen Johnson Sirleaf)
A way to envision a better future.
45. The day when our dignity will be completely restored is the day when our purpose is no longer to survive until the sun rises the next morning. (Thabo Mbeki)
Setting ambitious goals is a way to grow.
46. There is no dignity more impressive, nor independence more important, than living with one’s own means. (Calvin Cooldige)
Independence gives us dignity.
47. Education can give you skills, but a liberal education can give you dignity. (Ellen Key)
Another way to learn by gaining autonomy.
48. I have a choice every time I open my mouth: I can speak with civility, dignity, and grace, or I can’t. (Dana Perino)
In each circumstance, there are usually options.
49. The bravest act is still thinking for yourself. (Coco Chanel)
An act of rebellion.
50. One’s dignity can be attacked, vandalized and cruelly mocked. But it cannot be removed unless it is surrendered. (Michael J. Fox)
Another original metaphor.
51. Every woman who has finally managed to figure out her worth, has taken her suitcases of pride, has boarded a flight to freedom, and has landed in the valley of change. (Shannon L. Adler)
A way to describe the process of personal growth.
52. Dignity is essential for human life, as are water, food and oxygen. Stubborn retention of him, even through strenuous physical exertion, can keep a man’s soul in his body, beyond what the body can bear (Laura Hillenbrand)
A comparison between dignity and biological needs.
53. Hiding your feelings when you are about to cry is the secret of dignity. (Dejan Sonjanovic)
An opinion with which many would disagree.
54. Education is a sign of dignity, not submission. (Theodore Roosevelt)
A way to become an individual person.
55. People have the right to call themselves whatever they want. It doesn’t bother me. It’s when other people want to call you whatever they want that bothers me. (Octavia E. Butler)
About the right to be yourself.
56. When decorum is repression, the only thing that men lacking dignity have is to speak. (Abbie Hoffman)
Not rebelling as injustice is often seen as a form of indignity.
57. I want to grow old with some dignity. (Pete Townshend)
Statement of intents.
58. All souls are beautiful and precious, deserving of dignity and respect, and worthy of peace, joy and love. (Bryant McGill)
Reflection on the need to respect all people.
59. Don’t trade your dignity for popularity. (Steve Maraboli)
Advice to follow in a society in which the spectacular prevails, regardless of its value.
60. Love and dignity cannot share the same abode. (Ovid)
Scathing criticism of the concept of love.
61. Dignity is independent of national barriers. We must always defend the interests of those who are poor and persecuted in other countries. (Kjell Mange Bondevick)
Nationalities do not exist when it comes to appreciating the humanity of each person.
62. My dignity is worth more than four dollars. (Shivan Barwari)
Phrase about dignity that denotes rebellion.
63. Honor yourself by acting with dignity and composure. (Allan Lokos)
A maxim of life related to dignity and knowing how to be.
64. In love, swallow your pride, but never your dignity. (Carlos Salinas)
An interesting distinction between two key concepts.
65. Watching a person lose their dignity used to be uncomfortable, and now it is expected as part of a program with which we are comfortable. (Lisa Kudrow)
One of the effects of the society of the spectacle.
66. Every woman has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. No one can humiliate you or abuse you verbally. (Unknown author)
A defense of women’s rights.
67. We learned about dignity and decency, that how hard we work matters much more than what we do. That helping others means much more than taking advantage of oneself. (Michelle Obama)
Phrase about the need to strive to build a better world.
68. Dignity is the reward of obeying your heart. (Wes Fesler)
Aphorism about a compensation mechanism.
69. Solving poverty is not a gesture of charity. It’s an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental right, the right to dignity and a decent life. (Nelson Mandela)
About the responsibility of leaving no one behind.
70. The dignity of the truth is lost after much protest. (Ben Johnson)
A phrase that invites us to reflect on our attachment to the truth.
71. Dignity is often a veil between us and the true reality of things. (Edwin P. Whipple)
A very poetic image about the concept of dignity.
72. Sometimes, all you need to do is forget what you feel and remember what you deserve. (Unknown author)
A guideline that we can follow to achieve happiness.
73. Never sacrifice these three things: your family, your heart or your dignity. (Unknown author)
Advice that we can follow every day of our lives.
74. Dignity is the love we owe to ourselves.
A truly beautiful phrase about dignity.
75. A death with dignity is better than a life of humiliation. (Anonymous)
76. Killing innocents in the name of God is an offense against him and against human dignity (Benedict XVI)
Benedict XVI left us several widely remembered phrases during his mandate as Pope.
77. Feminism is the radical idea that maintains that women are people
One of the proclamations most claimed by the feminist movement.
78. I would rather die standing than live on my knees (Emiliano Zapata)
Probably the most iconic phrase of this Mexican revolutionary.
79. The worker needs respect more than bread (Karl Marx)
A truly inspiring sentence from this German thinker.
80. Never again will power or money take precedence over human dignity (Pope Francis)
One of the first statements made public by Pope Francis.
81. Never allow yourself to be humiliated
A maxim that we must follow every day of our lives.
83. Personal dignity is the recognition that we are worthy of the best.
One of the most accurate summaries of what freedom means.
84. Voluntary euthanasia is a human right, a human right of the first generation of human rights, a right of freedom. It is a right, not a duty.
The right to euthanasia is one of the most controversial debates of our time.
85. Defeat has a dignity that victory does not know (Jorge Luis Borges)
A very personal way of conceiving human dignity.
86. The freedom, morality and human dignity of the individual consist precisely in the fact that he does good not because he is forced to do so, but because he freely conceives it, wants it and loves it. (Mikhail Bakunin)
One of the most remembered maxims of this Russian anarchist.
87. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
88. A minute standing is worth more than a life on your knees. (Jose Marti)
A very famous phrase from this Cuban revolutionary.
89. No one will jump on us if we don’t bend our backs. (Martin Luther King)
Dr. King fought throughout his life for the dignity of his fellow citizens.
90. Don’t you know dignity when you see it? (Kirk Van Houten)
One of the most remembered phrases of this character from The Simpsons.
Use this citation format to reference the article clearly and help readers find the original source.
PsychologyFor. (2024). The 90 Best Phrases of Dignity. PsychologyFor. https://psychologyfor.com/the-90-best-phrases-of-dignity/