Will You Be My Dog for a Cookie?

An old Arab story goes that two boys—one rich and the other poor—were returning home from the market.

The rich boy bought honey-covered cookies, and the poor one bought a piece of old bread.

‘I will let you eat my cookie if you play the dog for me,' the rich boy said.

The poor boy accepted and, on all fours on the walkway, began to eat the rich boy's goodies. The rich boy looked on and mocked him.

A wise man who was watching the scene said:

If this poor boy had a little bit of dignity, he would find a better way to make money. "

But he prefers to turn into the rich boy's dog to eat his cookies."

"Tomorrow, when he grows up, he will do the same for a public office. He might betray his country for a bag of gold."

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This is an interesting parable that explores the themes of dignity and betrayal.

Dignity

Dignity means valuing oneself as worthy, honored, or respected.

We often refer to dignity as representing a person’s self-worth. We all establish standards to which we hold ourselves.

People with little or no dignity, such as the poor boy in the story, often set low standards. As a result, they no longer care about their actions.

Sadly, many people exploit those with low self-esteem. They ask these individuals to act in their best interest or for their satisfaction. Just like the rich boy in the parable, who invites the poor boy to act like a dog for his pleasure.

Lowering or removing a person’s dignity has been a common practice in torture. Torture seeks to break people down by forcing them to lose all self-respect. War criminals often end up with no food or basic living conditions.

Loss of dignity also happens all too often in rehabilitation homes or hospitals. People are denied the means to use the toilet in private or are left semi-naked on a hospital trolley.

I can vividly remember the final months of my father’s life when he was in a retirement home. He lost all his dignity. He could not eat food unless it had been processed in a blender. He could not go to the toilet by himself and had to be hoisted in and out of bed.

I was also mocked at boarding school by schoolboy bullies. Making fun of someone for their disability, sexuality, or gender identity robs them of their dignity.

The words of the wise man reflect the loss of dignity at an early age that transcends into adult life. Governments and officials often treat people in ways that serve their interests.

Removing the rights of poor people in Africa, for example, robs them of their dignity. They will ask for nothing and expect nothing. However, they are willing to do anything to meet their basic needs, as seen in the case of the poor boy above.

Human dignity isn't passed down genetically. However, parents' examples can have a significant influence on their children. A child raised without dignity will expect little as an adult.

It takes an exceptional person to 'break the mold,' but it can be done. Some people have overcome the lack of dignity they saw while growing up. They went on to achieve great success in their adult lives.

The Importance of Personal Dignity

Personal dignity is vital to human well-being. Personal dignity relies on having pride in oneself. So, pride is also essential for human well-being.

There should be no place in society for the demise of personal dignity. Sexual victimization, domestic violence, poverty, and mocking disabilities can harm a person's dignity.

I can remember witnessing at boarding school the victimization of a crippled boy. He was essentially dumped in boarding school because his parents did not know what to do with him. He became someone else’s problem. He didn't even go home for term breaks.

The bullies at school would surround him and crack jokes. He mistakenly thought he was ‘one of the boys.’ His crutches made it hard to get to the toilet quickly, so he ended up wetting his pants.

They would then walk off, often leaving his crutches a few meters away so that he would have to crawl to get them. Several times, when trying to help him, I or others paid the price ourselves for our efforts.

How much dignity did he grow up with?

What are your thoughts?

Till next time,

Calvin