The Dignity Exchange

Something we all deal with in life is the element of dignity exchange. This exchange occurs in many settings, but in my mind this bears particular pertinence in the matters of our professional life, and the relations that we have with our peers, both romantically and in the instance of friendships or family ties. At times we find ourselves exchanging a piece of our dignity to get what we want.

Something that strikes me is the fact that this dignity exchange exists on a sliding scale of severity you might say. On the lighter end of the scale, you have these moments where you do things like swallow your pride, act humbly, or "be the bigger person" in the given situation. On the opposite end of the scale you've got the outright and the egregious. The selling out of your soul. The voluntary gross humiliation, the sacrificing of ones morals or values, and the masochistic wounding of your internal self.

 As I said, this scale is different for each person, and more important is the place in the sand where you draw the line. The cut off. What you are willing to deal with? The acceptable level of compromise. I'm not here to tell you where that line should be. That's completely up to you to ration through. But what I am here to do is simply call your attention to it. Recognize that it is there. Recognize when you are nearing your limit. Recognize when you have gone too far. Recognize when enough is enough. 

 I don't think that any of us are capable of walking our entire lives on the Earth without making some compromise at some point. It's just a part of life to learn to cope with. Learning how to "straddle the line". But I really want you to step back and think about these times in your life where you find yourself cashing in pieces of your soul to get whatever it is that you desire. Financial gain, a relationship, material things. Whatever they are. Remember these two things:

1. There's always another more noble way to get the things that you desire.

2. The damage dealt to your soul in this lifetime will have lasting ramifications both this one and in the next. 

 The next time you are facing a situation where you feel like you are sacrificing a piece of your dignity, ask yourself...Is this a fair exchange? Is the juice really worth the squeeze? 

Dignity, self love, respect. All these things really matter. Don't sell your soul to the "devil" to get what you think you want. It ain't worth it.