Using our life experiences to develop our empathy

1

• Using our life experiences to develop our empathy

2
The only way we can begin to feel anothers
experience is by drawing upon our own. Dr
David Sheard
3
So what do we think dignity is
To me Dignity is
4
Dignity

• I think other people have an enormous influence
  over our dignity, it isnt something we are born
  with, if we are lucky we are helped to acquire it
  in our first years of life. We need to have
  dignity in our youth but we dont always get
  many opportunities to develop it. Adults develop
  dignity by their position in life and their own
  self-esteem.
• Im not sure that we always recognise the range
  and complexity of dignity and how the smallest
  things can damage it. We need to begin by
  understanding what dignity means to us. Only then
  can we hope to get an insight into other peoples
  perceptions of dignity.
  NPJ July 2011

5
DignityWell, I find looking into my personal
life experience of dignity is a bit like peeling
an onion - and we all know what happens when we
peel onions!
In groups identify 2 minor and 2 major
incidents that would undermine a persons dignity
. What may happen if minor incidents are
routinely overlooked?
6

• Thinking more about Dignity .
• Dignity is a word we use in two major ways.
• Dignity is a quality of the way we treat others
  as human beings.
• Dignity is quality of a persons inner self.
• Personal dignity positive self image
  self-esteem/self-respect
• We have to nurture peoples
• expectations of being treated with dignity, and
• image - appearing dignified

ADAPTED from HASCAS Dignity through Action