“Standing on your dignity” meaning
Good day,
I found an old Melbourne, AU tram ticket from sixties. On the back of it there is a writing "Standing on your dignity is a very insecure footing".
Trying to decipher the phrase, I fail to understand what does "Standing on your dignity" means. It's one of those cases when I understand each word separately but not the phrase context :)
idioms idiom-meaning
asked 2 days ago
Zaar Hai
1032
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add a comment |
Good day,
I found an old Melbourne, AU tram ticket from sixties. On the back of it there is a writing "Standing on your dignity is a very insecure footing".
Trying to decipher the phrase, I fail to understand what does "Standing on your dignity" means. It's one of those cases when I understand each word separately but not the phrase context :)
idioms idiom-meaning
asked 2 days ago
Zaar Hai
1032
New contributor
Zaar Hai is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Any interpretation here would be subjective, but I'd interpret it as saying that dignity is something that shifts and is uncertain at any given time. Just like building a house on top of a poor foundation means it could collapse at any time, so is basing your actions on dignity a poor idea. No doubt because (or so I interpret this), dignity isn't something that the author thinks is permanent. ("I'll give you this large sum of money if you do something undignified.") It comes across as cynical.
– Jason Bassford
2 days ago
add a comment |
Good day,
I found an old Melbourne, AU tram ticket from sixties. On the back of it there is a writing "Standing on your dignity is a very insecure footing".
Trying to decipher the phrase, I fail to understand what does "Standing on your dignity" means. It's one of those cases when I understand each word separately but not the phrase context :)
idioms idiom-meaning
asked 2 days ago
Zaar Hai
1032
New contributor
Zaar Hai is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Good day,
I found an old Melbourne, AU tram ticket from sixties. On the back of it there is a writing "Standing on your dignity is a very insecure footing".
Trying to decipher the phrase, I fail to understand what does "Standing on your dignity" means. It's one of those cases when I understand each word separately but not the phrase context :)
idioms idiom-meaning
idioms idiom-meaning
asked 2 days ago
Zaar Hai
1032
New contributor
Zaar Hai is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 2 days ago
Zaar Hai
1032
New contributor
Zaar Hai is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 2 days ago
Zaar Hai
1032
New contributor
Zaar Hai is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 2 days ago
Zaar Hai
1032
asked 2 days ago
Zaar Hai
1032
1032
New contributor
Zaar Hai is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
Zaar Hai is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Zaar Hai is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Any interpretation here would be subjective, but I'd interpret it as saying that dignity is something that shifts and is uncertain at any given time. Just like building a house on top of a poor foundation means it could collapse at any time, so is basing your actions on dignity a poor idea. No doubt because (or so I interpret this), dignity isn't something that the author thinks is permanent. ("I'll give you this large sum of money if you do something undignified.") It comes across as cynical.
– Jason Bassford
2 days ago
add a comment |
Any interpretation here would be subjective, but I'd interpret it as saying that dignity is something that shifts and is uncertain at any given time. Just like building a house on top of a poor foundation means it could collapse at any time, so is basing your actions on dignity a poor idea. No doubt because (or so I interpret this), dignity isn't something that the author thinks is permanent. ("I'll give you this large sum of money if you do something undignified.") It comes across as cynical.
– Jason Bassford
2 days ago
Any interpretation here would be subjective, but I'd interpret it as saying that dignity is something that shifts and is uncertain at any given time. Just like building a house on top of a poor foundation means it could collapse at any time, so is basing your actions on dignity a poor idea. No doubt because (or so I interpret this), dignity isn't something that the author thinks is permanent. ("I'll give you this large sum of money if you do something undignified.") It comes across as cynical.
– Jason Bassford
2 days ago
Any interpretation here would be subjective, but I'd interpret it as saying that dignity is something that shifts and is uncertain at any given time. Just like building a house on top of a poor foundation means it could collapse at any time, so is basing your actions on dignity a poor idea. No doubt because (or so I interpret this), dignity isn't something that the author thinks is permanent. ("I'll give you this large sum of money if you do something undignified.") It comes across as cynical.
– Jason Bassford
2 days ago
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
'To stand on one's dignity' is an idiom which means to insist on being treated with due respect.
Dignity cannot be achieved by force, it is given rather than taken.
So the statement means to say that it is a very insecure approach / assertion / path to demand respect forcefully. Respect should be earned and not demanded.
Kindly refer more details here and here
answered 2 days ago
Explorer
3516
I just want to know why I have been down voted. I assume that I have given the most relevant answer here with supporting references.
– Explorer
2 days ago
I'm not the downvoter—in fact, I'm the upvoter—but I think the negative vote may well have come because you merely linked to the content at Cambridge Dictionary and Macmillan Dictionary, rather than quoting the relevant definitions from the cited authorities. English Language & Usage seeks to provide one-stop shopping for readers, which in the case of explanations of meaning means including appropriate quotations within an answer. Having said that, I must say that I think your answer is quite solid in every other respect.
– Sven Yargs
2 days ago
1
o i c. Thanks. But I did give the content of those links in a gist in my very first statement. I added the links only to substantiate my answer.
– Explorer
2 days ago
add a comment |
To "stand on your dignity" is to keep your dignity in the face of challenges and hardships.
answered 2 days ago
Xteven
92
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Xteven is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
'To stand on one's dignity' is an idiom which means to insist on being treated with due respect.
Dignity cannot be achieved by force, it is given rather than taken.
So the statement means to say that it is a very insecure approach / assertion / path to demand respect forcefully. Respect should be earned and not demanded.
Kindly refer more details here and here
answered 2 days ago
Explorer
3516
I just want to know why I have been down voted. I assume that I have given the most relevant answer here with supporting references.
– Explorer
2 days ago
I'm not the downvoter—in fact, I'm the upvoter—but I think the negative vote may well have come because you merely linked to the content at Cambridge Dictionary and Macmillan Dictionary, rather than quoting the relevant definitions from the cited authorities. English Language & Usage seeks to provide one-stop shopping for readers, which in the case of explanations of meaning means including appropriate quotations within an answer. Having said that, I must say that I think your answer is quite solid in every other respect.
– Sven Yargs
2 days ago
1
o i c. Thanks. But I did give the content of those links in a gist in my very first statement. I added the links only to substantiate my answer.
– Explorer
2 days ago
add a comment |
'To stand on one's dignity' is an idiom which means to insist on being treated with due respect.
Dignity cannot be achieved by force, it is given rather than taken.
So the statement means to say that it is a very insecure approach / assertion / path to demand respect forcefully. Respect should be earned and not demanded.
Kindly refer more details here and here
answered 2 days ago
Explorer
3516
I just want to know why I have been down voted. I assume that I have given the most relevant answer here with supporting references.
– Explorer
2 days ago
I'm not the downvoter—in fact, I'm the upvoter—but I think the negative vote may well have come because you merely linked to the content at Cambridge Dictionary and Macmillan Dictionary, rather than quoting the relevant definitions from the cited authorities. English Language & Usage seeks to provide one-stop shopping for readers, which in the case of explanations of meaning means including appropriate quotations within an answer. Having said that, I must say that I think your answer is quite solid in every other respect.
– Sven Yargs
2 days ago
1
o i c. Thanks. But I did give the content of those links in a gist in my very first statement. I added the links only to substantiate my answer.
– Explorer
2 days ago
add a comment |
'To stand on one's dignity' is an idiom which means to insist on being treated with due respect.
Dignity cannot be achieved by force, it is given rather than taken.
So the statement means to say that it is a very insecure approach / assertion / path to demand respect forcefully. Respect should be earned and not demanded.
Kindly refer more details here and here
answered 2 days ago
Explorer
3516
'To stand on one's dignity' is an idiom which means to insist on being treated with due respect.
Dignity cannot be achieved by force, it is given rather than taken.
So the statement means to say that it is a very insecure approach / assertion / path to demand respect forcefully. Respect should be earned and not demanded.
Kindly refer more details here and here
answered 2 days ago
Explorer
3516
edited 2 days ago
answered 2 days ago
Explorer
3516
answered 2 days ago
Explorer
3516
answered 2 days ago
Explorer
3516
3516
I just want to know why I have been down voted. I assume that I have given the most relevant answer here with supporting references.
– Explorer
2 days ago
I'm not the downvoter—in fact, I'm the upvoter—but I think the negative vote may well have come because you merely linked to the content at Cambridge Dictionary and Macmillan Dictionary, rather than quoting the relevant definitions from the cited authorities. English Language & Usage seeks to provide one-stop shopping for readers, which in the case of explanations of meaning means including appropriate quotations within an answer. Having said that, I must say that I think your answer is quite solid in every other respect.
– Sven Yargs
2 days ago
1
o i c. Thanks. But I did give the content of those links in a gist in my very first statement. I added the links only to substantiate my answer.
– Explorer
2 days ago
add a comment |
I just want to know why I have been down voted. I assume that I have given the most relevant answer here with supporting references.
– Explorer
2 days ago
I'm not the downvoter—in fact, I'm the upvoter—but I think the negative vote may well have come because you merely linked to the content at Cambridge Dictionary and Macmillan Dictionary, rather than quoting the relevant definitions from the cited authorities. English Language & Usage seeks to provide one-stop shopping for readers, which in the case of explanations of meaning means including appropriate quotations within an answer. Having said that, I must say that I think your answer is quite solid in every other respect.
– Sven Yargs
2 days ago
1
o i c. Thanks. But I did give the content of those links in a gist in my very first statement. I added the links only to substantiate my answer.
– Explorer
2 days ago
I just want to know why I have been down voted. I assume that I have given the most relevant answer here with supporting references.
– Explorer
2 days ago
I just want to know why I have been down voted. I assume that I have given the most relevant answer here with supporting references.
– Explorer
2 days ago
I'm not the downvoter—in fact, I'm the upvoter—but I think the negative vote may well have come because you merely linked to the content at Cambridge Dictionary and Macmillan Dictionary, rather than quoting the relevant definitions from the cited authorities. English Language & Usage seeks to provide one-stop shopping for readers, which in the case of explanations of meaning means including appropriate quotations within an answer. Having said that, I must say that I think your answer is quite solid in every other respect.
– Sven Yargs
2 days ago
I'm not the downvoter—in fact, I'm the upvoter—but I think the negative vote may well have come because you merely linked to the content at Cambridge Dictionary and Macmillan Dictionary, rather than quoting the relevant definitions from the cited authorities. English Language & Usage seeks to provide one-stop shopping for readers, which in the case of explanations of meaning means including appropriate quotations within an answer. Having said that, I must say that I think your answer is quite solid in every other respect.
– Sven Yargs
2 days ago
1
1
o i c. Thanks. But I did give the content of those links in a gist in my very first statement. I added the links only to substantiate my answer.
– Explorer
2 days ago
o i c. Thanks. But I did give the content of those links in a gist in my very first statement. I added the links only to substantiate my answer.
– Explorer
2 days ago
add a comment |
To "stand on your dignity" is to keep your dignity in the face of challenges and hardships.
answered 2 days ago
Xteven
92
New contributor
Xteven is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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add a comment |
To "stand on your dignity" is to keep your dignity in the face of challenges and hardships.
answered 2 days ago
Xteven
92
New contributor
Xteven is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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add a comment |
To "stand on your dignity" is to keep your dignity in the face of challenges and hardships.
answered 2 days ago
Xteven
92
New contributor
Xteven is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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To "stand on your dignity" is to keep your dignity in the face of challenges and hardships.
answered 2 days ago
Xteven
92
New contributor
Xteven is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
answered 2 days ago
Xteven
92
New contributor
Xteven is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
answered 2 days ago
Xteven
92
answered 2 days ago
Xteven
92
92
New contributor
Xteven is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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New contributor
Xteven is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Xteven is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
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add a comment |
Zaar Hai is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Zaar Hai is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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Any interpretation here would be subjective, but I'd interpret it as saying that dignity is something that shifts and is uncertain at any given time. Just like building a house on top of a poor foundation means it could collapse at any time, so is basing your actions on dignity a poor idea. No doubt because (or so I interpret this), dignity isn't something that the author thinks is permanent. ("I'll give you this large sum of money if you do something undignified.") It comes across as cynical.
– Jason Bassford
2 days ago