Difference Between Dignity And Respect

Dignity and respect; two words that are often used together in the same sentence, or used to carry the same meaning. However, if one were to give extreme attention to detail, the two words are not completely the same, but rather they coexist to compliment each other’s meaning. For instance, it is almost guaranteed that upon looking the two up in the dictionary, the two of them will be found in each other’s definition. Dignity, in simple terms, is the worth that one believes he or she has earned and is entitled to. It is a sense of honor that one carries with them like a knight would a sword. On the other hand, respect is specifically that honor that one gives to others at their discretion. It is not the sword itself but rather the honor of

having the skills deemed necessary to wield it. An example of this could be the character Rocky Balboa, played by Sylvestor Stallone, in the movie Rocky. The movie is essentially about Rocky’s desire to earn dignity and respect from anyone who knows him. In the movie, during a scene where Rocky is ice skating with his soon-to-be girlfriend Adrian, he tells her the reason he got into fighting was because he had something to prove. Rocky wanted to prove that he had the “stuff” to be a “ good pro”, which seemed to be the theme throughout the whole movie. Upon watching the movie, one would say that dignity is so important to rocky because he is constantly disrespected by his society, his coaches and friends, and by Apollo Creed and his representatives.