Respect must be earned, but everyone deserves to be treated with Dignity. "Dignity" by Donna Hicks

Title: Dignity: Its Essential Role in Resolving Conflict

Author: Donna Hicks, Ph.D.

Reviewer: Richard Sesek (educator, wantrepreneur)

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Topic/Intent of book: Donna Hicks developed a “dignity model” to help people better understand dignity’s role in our personal lives, our interactions with others, and interactions among groups. Hicks convincingly presents a case that many conflicts (even among nations) are the result of dignity “violations.” She presents advice for extending dignity to others and protecting dignity with proactive actions. Ultimately, violations of others’ dignity, is a violation of your own dignity.

I selected this book because: I was intrigued by the title and was searching for explanations for the current “fractured state of politics” in the U.S.

Recommendation: Yes. I feel like studying the essential elements of dignity as well as the threats to dignity is a worthwhile pursuit. I think this model is useful for diverse teams, such as university faculty departments, that must work together towards a common goal.

Major lessons from this book: I found this book interesting and engaging. It was convincing in its explanations and, more importantly, that the potential solutions to dignity violations were achievable and that positive steps can be made to reduce conflict between individuals, groups, and even nation states.

Respect must be earned, but everyone deserves to be treated with dignity. We are not always aware of the deep impact we may have on others, this book helps the reader identify things they may be doing to violate the dignity of others (and, by extension, themselves) and what to do to minimize the likelihood that one is doing so.

Book Inspirations: I plan to create some simple presentations that detail the model’s elements and the threats to dignity. I am currently reading another of Dr. Hick’s books “Leading with Dignity: How to Create a Culture That Brings Out the Best in People.” She specifically recommended chapter 5 which deals with dignity in education.