What does dignity look like in your life?

"My husband was talking with a family member who has very staunch political positions toward one side. They started talking a bit about politics, but then the conversation turned inflammatory. My family member started using some derogatory remarks about a politician, and I had to just go upstairs into another room before I said something I was going to regret — this was also in front of my two small children. I eventually came back downstairs, and this family member apologized. I just said that in my household, we're not using such derogatory speech about fellow human beings. If they were just talking about policies, I don't think it would have been so bad. But dehumanizing rhetoric about 'the other side' is how political violence happens, and I explained that my kids' future depends on us treating people with dignity and respect."

"I was at a friend's place for dinner, it was loud, a few of us talking over each other. Someone I'd just met — the host's cousin, in town visiting — started going off about politics, a really strong opinion, totally opposite of mine. I could feel myself getting tense, almost checked my phone just to calm down. Then I thought: this is my dignity moment. I asked, 'curious what led you to this belief?' He told me stuff about his family, where he grew up — things I didn't expect, pretty opposite from his cousin's life. I still disagreed, but it didn't feel like a fight, which was nice. The conversation changed. That night could have gone a different way. It could have caused a chasm between my friend and me."