African Tradition says that Self-Respect is built around the natural dignity endowment by God present in every human being.
The first duty of each child is to recognize that he/she possesses the divine spark of Love with the same qualities of God but lacking the same quantity. That spark was imparted when God breathed life into the individual and with that breath was God's Love. An analogy is that of a bucket of ocean water which contains all the aspects of the ocean. The mere Appreciation of ones Dignity results in one being elevated to the realization that one has the potential to be a human type god. What is necessary to reach that potential is to function at ones best in human society by following Ma'at principles (putting Love in action). This requires discovering ones mission in life and ones talents to make that mission a reality. In African Tradition, a failure to even try to get on the path to ones mission is a sign of great disrespect to ones own dignity. For the Akans of Africa such a loss of respect means the person, the person’s family, and the village is viewed with pity and disgrace because the person was not taught the ways of the Ancestors. The person must make the appropriate apologies and they must be accepted before atonement rituals are performed and things made right.
European Self-Respect means that a person has given thought to his/her behaviors and has justified them in the light of personal and social values. Without some self-respect it is almost impossible for a person to maintain the respect of other persons for, by suggestion, his/her attitudes toward him/herself influence the attitudes of other persons toward him/herself. During slavery the European captors dedicated their efforts to shattering the self-respect of the Slaves. Following slavery it was from a mixture of Euro-American and African Tradition that most Black Americans fashioned concepts of respect. Most Elite--and the Omnibus Black Americans to a lesser extent-- have embraced the European concept and designed their lives accordingly. Mainstream Black Americans retain much of the African Tradition of respect. The Enslaved Minded and Black Criminals operate under the shattered pattern of self-respect taught to the Slaves. If Black Americans followed African Tradition principles, they would stop using offensive language (Bailey, Self-Esteem); would stop degrading each other (e.g. male/females); would stop envying each other’s success; and would band together so as to create, enhance, or maintain a sense of community possessed with “Black Power” strength.
In my view, Self-Respect is present when: (1) one esteems who one is based upon ones dignity; (2) recognizes ones self-worth (including the honoring of ones Dignity) as well as ones self-value traits (skills in the material world); (3) attaches to ones dignity the tasks one does in life; (4) carries those tasks to a level of completion that is compatible with ones capabilities for the betterment of mankind; and (5) placing ones achievements on the proper rung of the ladder of importance and appreciating them while not being afraid to face ones weaknesses and mistakes. The Step I process is for one to clear ones mind of all negative self-talk--e.g. "I can't do this because..." This is merely an excuse to hide an unwillingness to venture into the unknown. Step II--achieve multiple small successes every day so that one continually "stretches" ones minds and sharpens ones skills. Both automatically lead to a sense of Self-Reliance. Step III--when one combines Self-Reliance with Keeping Ones Word and remaining Honorable (not lying, cheating, or stealing) one develops Self-Trust (knowing you will keep your promise to yourself and honor your commitments). Self-reliance and Self-Trust build a sense of Self-Respect--i.e. knowing you do both good work and important work and then possessing the confidence and determination to make success happen in a dignified, cultured, and refined manner. |
