Dignity & Self-Worth

Dignity and self-worth are related but not identical. Self-worth reflects how we feel about ourselves, which may rise and fall throughout life. Dignity exists regardless of those feelings. A person may struggle with confidence, experience failure, or face difficult circumstances and still possess inherent worth. Through Istima, many people gradually learn to recognize the dignity that was present all along. One of life's important lessons is learning to treat ourselves with the same respect and humanity that dignity invites us to extend to others.