Watch out for anyone who demands you jump through hoops just to be treated with basic decency.
There’s a difference between earning trust and earning the right to be treated like a human being. The former is part of healthy relationships. The latter is a red flag.
Dignity isn’t a reward—it’s a baseline. You don’t need to prove your intelligence, competence, or usefulness to deserve courtesy, fairness, or kindness. If someone makes your dignity conditional, they’re not building trust—they’re asserting control.
Yes, respect for someone’s judgment or expertise is often earned over time. A job interview, a test of reliability, a gradual deepening of trust—these are normal. But they should never come at the cost of your basic worth.
If someone tells you to “prove your value” before they’ll treat you with respect, ask yourself: Are they assessing your skills—or trying to make you feel small?
In healthy relationships, respect is layered—but dignity is non-negotiable. You can earn someone’s confidence, but you should never have to earn their humanity.
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