"John eats a lot," Mary told a group of friends gathered around the table, "that is why he is adding on weight. I keep telling him to reduce the amount of ice cream he eats, but he doesn't listen to me."
Everyone around the table laughs. “But I have reduced on my ice cream,” said John, embarrassed. “I think I need to hit the gym a bit more.”
Verbal attacks and put-downs in public or private do not dignify your partner and are destructive. They can inflict wounds that take longer to heal. It is gracious speech between partners that oils and strengthens a relationship.
Respecting your partner means accepting them as they are. You should not compare them with others or try to fit them in some form of ideal. Being in a relationship does not mean changing people. Two people in a relationship should be able to communicate freely without fear of being criticized.
The home should be a place where people can be themselves. Dignifying each other is the first step to make a house a haven of peace and happiness, knowing that what is said and done will not be revealed to friends and others.
Parents should treat children with dignity. Discipline outside the home should be administered discreetly and as quietly as possible. “I told you to take back that bra,” shouted a mother to a teenage daughter. “It is not on the list of things we have to buy.”
Everyone turns and looks at the young girl and her mother. The teenage daughter takes back the bra, but the experience is devastating.
Respect for your partner is essential, just as rain is to plants. Without water, a plant gets stunted and dies. A relationship fails to grow if dignity is lacking. Dignity will help a relationship develop, mature and last.