Dignity

Dignity - from the latin word dignus meaning "worthy."

Is dignity something that people have that we are supposed to recognize in them? Or is it something that we bestow upon one another regardless of their race, age, socioeconomic class, etc?

We talk about dignity as this thing that you are supposed to have for yourself. And sometimes because of the way that you behave and/or the status that you have, people might treat you with it. But essentially this means that you kind-of have to be on the top of your emotional, positively self-visuallizing game to "have" dignity.

Let's say you have had a fever and been vomiting all day, or you have been up for three days with your child, or you are having a tumor removed after a few months of chemotherapy, or a tsunami just destroyed your entire city. Just saying - in the midst of these trying situations we do not exude anything resembling some kind of intrinsic dignity.

This is one of the things I love about being part of the health care world (human race, dare I say?). No matter who you are, or what you have accomplished with your life or how long you have been overlooked on the street corner and no mater what kind of train wreck you are experiencing right now - Sometimes you just can not muster up much dignity for yourself. A comfortable bed, a bite to eat, a new leg, reconstructive surgery, a room where no one can see you falling to pieces over the news you just received.  Regardless of status, rank, salary or just how sure of yourself you are feeling that day, it is our privilege to bestow dignity.