Share The Dignity: Why We Should Make Dignity A SOCIAL NORM In A World Of 'Us VS Them'

Wanna know how to share the dignity in a world obsessed with ‘us VS them’? This post is dedicated to showing you how dignity can become the ultimate social norm and why it’s the single biggest high-value human rebellion you can stage against small-minded status games.

Think about it. Every time someone treats you like you don’t matter, you’re outraged, turned to stone, and suddenly fighting for survival instead of thriving. That’s not weakness, it’s hardwired brain priorities in action. Donna Hicks, the PhD who literally wrote the book on dignity, explains that when someone violates your dignity, your survival instincts kick in. You automatically fight for your own well-being, not the relationship. And what do we get when everyone is in survival mode? Chaos, division, and create even more ‘us VS them’. Great. See the importance of dignity yet?

What you’re going to learn is how dignity is not fluffy self-help nonsense, but a safety strategy that can change the way you navigate every relationship. You’ll see why making dignity a social norm is the human rights rebellion that breaks cycles of disrespect, resets power dynamics, and puts humanity back in its rightful place.

After you have learned how to recognise dignity violations, protect your own humanity, and share dignity like it’s oxygen, you’ll step into relationships with kick-ass confidence, clear-headed rationality, and the deep relief of finally feeling seen and safe.

This post is all about why we should share the dignity, because you can break free from survival state and start thriving like you were always meant to.

Share The Dignity

Donna Hicks argues that when someone violates your dignity, your instincts flip into survival mode. Look at your own behaviour for a second, and realise that she’s on to something… You stop caring about the relationship and focus only on your own well‑being. That’s not selfishness, that’s biology. It’s your nervous system screaming protect yourself at all costs. The tragedy is that this survival state fuels the ‘us VS them’ culture we see everywhere: in politics, workplaces, even relationships.

So, if every act of indignity pushes us deeper into fear and division, the reverse is also true. Every act of dignity pulls us back toward connection, safety, and growth. Sharing dignity isn’t about politeness. It’s about rewiring humanity’s default setting from threat to trust. Imagine if instead of tearing each other apart, we treated every human as if they mattered. As if they have inherent value, just because they are HUMAN. That’s not idealism; that’s a social revolution & survival strategy 2.0.

Dignity as a Survival Signal

When your dignity is under attack, your body knows it before your brain does. You’re whole nervous system fires up and fuels you with adrenaline. Funnily, we humans scapegoat this automatic survival instinct, and shame ourselves for being reactive, toxic, and even narcissistic! That’s not drama, that’s design. Donna Hicks points out that dignity violations hijack the same emotional circuitry as physical threats. Your nervous system literally cannot tell the difference. Survival state kicks in, and in survival state, everyone gets selfish.

Think about the fights you’ve had where it wasn’t really about the dishes or the deadline. It was about feeling valued, being treated like you matter. And in that moment, your biology whispered: your survival is at stake, defend yourself. Of course, you lashed out, shut down, or withdrew. That was your dignity alarm going off.

The problem is, when survival instincts hijack our relationships, they tear us apart. Instead of seeing the human across from us, we see a threat. Instead of working together, we dig trenches in ‘us VS them’ thinking. Sharing dignity interrupts this script. It says: I see you, you matter, your worth is intact. That’s how we calm the nervous system and shift back from war mode into growth mode. And if that sounds like a full-blown social rebellion, well, that’s because, it is. It’s the rebellion of refusing to let your biology run the show when your humanity has a better plan.

The Cost of Normalising Indignity

Let’s get real. Indignity is everywhere. The subtle dismissals in meetings. The snarky comments in family dinners. The silent treatment that scream louder than words. Society has normalised it to the point where half the time, you don’t even register it as unsafe anymore … you call it stress, conflict, or ‘just how it is’.

But indignity isn’t neutral. Hicks argues it’s corrosive and even the root of all freakin’ wars on Earth! And I think she might be right. Because. Every violation chips away at trust, making people retreat deeper into survival state. And once you’re in survival mode, collaboration, intimacy, and creativity fly out the window. Entire workplaces collapse under this culture. Families fracture. Nations divide. Wars are fought.

When you look closer, you’ll see indignity at the root of all breakdowns. It’s not that people don’t know what to do; it’s that their humanity is under fire. Without dignity, even the most brilliant plans fall apart. Making indignity normal is like pouring acid on the very bonds we rely on. The cost is everything.

Sharing dignity is how you stop paying that price.

Let’s make building self-respect a little less abstract and a bit more practical. Because acting respectfully might mean different things (depending on your culture and personal values), but it doesn’t have to stay a vague term! In fact, it shouldn’t, because if it stays unconscious, you’ll never be able to control it! You’ll feel extremely relieved once you KNOW what respect looks like to you. When you have that emotional compass ‘in check’, you can earn it, claim it and OWN it. Decision making will become so much easier! Because there’s always a strategy to get out of the messy parts. We made a printable & self-respect checklist to help you out with ALL of this. Simply fill out the form below:

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Making Dignity the Social Norm

Here’s the rebellious idea: dignity should be the default setting. Not hierarchy. Not power plays. And definitely not survival‑of‑the‑fittest. Dignity. Treating humans BY DEFAULT as if they matter.

Now, let me get one thing straight! That doesn’t mean you roll over or lose your healthy boundaries. It means you recognise the universal value in every person, even the ones who drive you nuts. Hicks’ research shows that when dignity is respected, people stop posturing, stop defending, and start connecting. The survival alarm quiets down. And that’s when the magic happens: cooperation, growth, and authentic power.

Making dignity a social norm is about rewiring culture at every level. Imagine schools teaching kids that every human has inherent worth. Workplaces rewarding dignity as much as performance. Families calling each other out, not for mistakes, but for moments of disregard. It’s not fluffy, it’s structural success! Social contracts already exist: we follow traffic lights, pay taxes, and obey laws. If Donna Hicks is really right about this making us our darkest selves… Why not add dignity to that list?

The more we share dignity, the less oxygen there is for division. The ‘us VS them’ narrative collapses when people refuse to strip each other of value. Making dignity the norm is the social rebellion that could rewrite how humanity functions. And even how we aim for structural change in society.

Sharing Dignity in Daily Life

So, how do you actually share the dignity without sounding like a Hallmark card? Start coming up with understanding, empathic OR tension-releasing, funny excuses in your head. When someone cuts you off in traffic, think, ‘Maybe he is on his way to his dying Mother’, or, ‘Well, he probably really had to take a dump HARD’. Notice when your survival state is triggered, and instead of biting back, pause, and break that cycle.

Then flip it outward. Treat others as if they matter, EVEN WHEN THEY SCREW UP. That doesn’t mean you let them walk all over you. It means you hold their humanity intact while holding your own boundaries. Call on their accountability with civility. Think: ‘I disagree with you, but your human value stays untouched.’ That one shift disarms conflict faster than any self‑help hack.

Overachievers and overthinkers, this is your edge. You don’t want to half‑ass life, and you don’t half‑ass dignity either. So! Make it part of your daily rebellion. Send the risky email loaded with respect. Call out the micro‑slights, but without stripping someone else down. Refuse to play the ‘us VS them’ game, even when it’s tempting. Because that’s what makes YOU so high-value, that you lead humanity to safer, more peaceful waters.

Every time you share dignity, you’re hacking humanity’s operating system. You’re teaching your nervous system, and theirs, that survival isn’t under threat. That’s how we create safety, and safety is what allows people to grow, excel, and show up at their best. Sharing dignity isn’t just kindness. It’s strategic power & the right thing to do.

Share The Dignity (Summary)

Donna Hicks shows that indignity hijacks our survival system, making everyone act ‘selfish’ when dignity is under attack & survival mode is activated. Every ‘us VS them’ moment is really just humanity trapped in survival state.

The key tools you learned here are recognising dignity violations, rejecting the normalisation of disrespect, and actively treating people as if they matter. This isn’t fluff, it’s rebellion. When you share dignity, you interrupt survival mode, restore trust, and build connections where growth can finally happen.

Imagine walking into your day knowing you can handle conflict without losing yourself. Picture relationships where your worth is never questioned, workplaces that fuel collaboration instead of competition, and a world that feels less hostile and more human. That’s the future dignity makes possible.

I wish you the absolute best as you take this rebellion into your own life. Don’t half‑ass it. Share the dignity like it’s oxygen, because it is as necessary! Now go out there and show the world that humans matter, including you.

This post was all about why we should share the dignity, because you can break free from survival state and start thriving like you were always meant to.

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Share The Dignity: Why We Should Make Dignity A SOCIAL NORM In A World Of ‘Us VS Them’