Reflection
Personalism is a philosophic tendency built on the infinite uniqueness and depth of each person. There is a depth, complexity and superabundance to each human personality that gives each person unique, infinite dignity. Despite what the achievement culture teaches, that dignity does not depend on what you do, how successful you are or whether your school calls you gifted. Infinite worth is inherent in being human. Every human encounter is a meeting of equals. The crucial questions in life are not “what” questions — what do I do? They are “who” questions — who do I follow, who do I serve, who do I love? The big point is that today’s social fragmentation didn’t spring from shallow roots. It sprang from worldviews that amputated people from their own depths and divided them into simplistic, flattened identities. That has to change.
Adapted from David Brooks
Prayer
May I respect the worth and dignity of each person.
Action
Refuse to categorize groups of people in common stereotypes. Be critical of blanket political posturing and denigration of races, ethnic groups, sexual preferences and countries of origin. If this is part of your reaction to others, ask yourself why.
Suggested Reading
If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. My brothers and sisters, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
James 1:26-2:17
Treat everyone you meet with dignity.
1Peter 2:17
We must move from considering others as threats to our comfort to valuing them as persons whose life experience and values can contribute greatly to the enrichment of our society.
Pope Francis
The evil of our times consists in the first place in a kind of degradation, indeed in a pulverization, of the fundamental uniqueness of each human person.
Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II)
Every human being, of whatever origin, of whatever station, deserves respect. We must each respect others even as we respect ourselves.
U Thant
You should respect each other and refrain from disputes; you should not, like water and oil, repel each other, but should, like milk and water, mingle together.
Buddha
Treat everyone with respect and kindness. Period. No exceptions.
Kiana Tom
What a privilege to be here on the planet to contribute your unique donation to humankind. Each face in the rainbow of colors that populate our world is precious and special.
Morris Dees
The respect you give others is a dramatic reflection of the respect you give yourself.
Robin Sharma
Society and medicine treat us all as members of populations, whereas as individuals we are all unique, and population statistics do not apply.
Craig Venter