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ENGL 102

09/11/2016

Self-Respect

Joan Didion essay on self-respect sheds light on what self-respect is and from where it springs. The article helps one to question him/herself of his/her self-respect based on the aspects provided by Didion. Didion highlights the various delusion factors that drive people to think that they have achieved self-respect and live in their comfort zones. However, in her article, she illustrates that most of the people do not have self-respect and in the end are left stranded with nowhere and no one to turn to including themselves. Self-respect can be explained as the disposition to take the responsibility for an individual’s life. It entails the intrinsic worth of a person despite what the others think of an individual. The main idea in Didion’s article is self-respect and a deeper analysis of self-respect shows that most individuals claim to have it while they do not and that a clear understanding of the aspect is needed to help in the development of individuals.

Reflecting on the concept of self-respect provided in Didion’s article, it is clear that most of the people associate self-respect with what other they about them. In fact, in the current society people associate self-respect with their reputation and image in the society. The majority of people treat self-respect synonymously with respect others and the reputation gained (Branden 56). Although a good reputation is important for self-respect it is not the source of self-respect and one can develop self-respect without necessarily having a good reputation in the society. The article highlights the fact that self-respect is not built by other people in the society, but by an individual alone by embracing their nature and finding their worth in life.

Personally, I have learnt that self-respect may be sourced from different factors although in the long run it amounts to the same thing. For instance one may derive his/her self-respect from the ability to perform a particular task efficiently, other from their kindness and others from their feelings about themselves. The bottom line in attaining self-respect is that one has to develop a positive attitude about his/her nature and try to derive his/her worth in his life (Kristjánsson 43). Self-respect is by part triggered by once view about the issues in his/life and his responsibility towards such issues. The acceptance of responsibility for the issues that are in one’s life to me is the best source of self-respect despite the presence or absence of other factors. Individuals should develop the courage to take the responsibility of their actions and this would be the true source of self-respect that would then trigger other factors that individuals seek such as reputation.

Based on the information provided by Didion, self-respect is the source of many of the issues that people term as synonymous to self-respect. For instance, people view a good reputation in the society as a sign of self-respect yet it is an aspect that comes after self-respect. Individuals with self-respect are able to take responsibility of their action and face the consequences building faith, respect, and honor from other members of the society. Even in case the individual was wrong and admits to the error, one is able to solve it easily and create a good reputation among the people he/she interact with, hence building a good reputation in the society. Therefore, the concept of self-respect is the source of most of the ideologies that people hold as the sources of self-respect.

An important fact about self-respect is that of developing a character. A character can be said to be the trait or feature that that allows an individual to manage the issues that come by and address then with the truth without self-deception (Lickona 112). To develop self-respect one needs to develop a discipline and a habit of acting true to oneself and to the situation no matter the consequences. One of the facts that have led to many people not having self-respect and yet claim to be having it is the compulsion constructed by the society to always please others. Many people strive to satisfy others even when they would not have done it given an opportunity. Many people lack the courage to omit or commit an action to create a good image with the society. This is not the right character towards developing self-respect, one needs to accept the risk of a situation and act not please other, but according to the true will.

Self-respect is concept that is gained by acting and not thinking. I believe that most of the society members live in an illusion that they have self-respect while they do not. Most of the people create the illusion that they have self-respect in their brains, but the actions often may do not self-respect, but flattering to create a good image in the society. Helping others and pleasing other individuals is not the way to gain self-respect, but to take responsibility of one’s existence and face the risk that comes with taking a specific path of action. Many individuals do not understand the concept of self-respect and end up frustrated since they cannot fake their true thoughts or flatter themselves like with the society. Therefore, individuals should learn to face the responsibilities for their existence, realize their worth, and live up to their true character.

Works Cited

Branden, Nathaniel. How to raise your self-esteem: the proven action-oriented approach to greater self-respect and self-confidence. Bantam, 2011.

Kristjánsson, Kristján. "Measuring self‐respect." Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour 37.3 (2007): 225-242.

Lickona, Thomas. Educating for character: How our schools can teach respect and responsibility. Bantam, 2009.