The importance of this passage seems to be on the topic of “self respect”. This term can be defined in numerous ways, but I would never have expected the author to define it as something so deep rooted. “Self respect” to most people can be seen as pride, but for the author, it is something much than that, it is something that is rooted in humanity itself and defines who we are. Although I cannot see this having connections to any “big ideas” so far, it could be brought to attention as a new concept of philosophy and could make pretty large impacts if taken into further studies, but the only thing is that I cannot tell if the impacts from this “idea” will be beneficial or not. In this reading, the one thing I do not understand is the concept of “alienation from self”, first of all, how are the examples provided alienation from self? For example, “we no longer answer the telephone, because someone might want something;” I cannot see it as alienation from self but rather alienation from others. I like how this passage starts our, but as it nears the end, it wavers from its original point. In the beginning, the author talks about how it is centered on the “self”, but as it gets near the end, the author starts using “self respect” as an offensive maneuver against others, and turns it into a “battle strategy”. From life experiences, we tend to raise ourselves above others to make it seem like “we” are the best, and “they” are not, this would be one example in a real life situation.
Questions:
1. Why does the author start in one direction and suddenly write off into a different direction?
2. How is “self respect” connected to “alienation from self”?
3. Is “self respect” courage?
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