The Dignity Index

Posted on March 29, 2026 | Leave a comment

The Massachusetts Municipal Association had Tim Shriver speak to everyone at the opening of the Massachusetts Municipal Association annual convention this year in January about his Dignity Index, a way to lower the tone of disagreements in our political discourse. At first I discounted the value of the presentation, but after listening to him I think we all could do better by following his suggestions to measure our conversations against the Dignity Index and try to get ourselves to the Dignity Index 7 & 8 levels in our discussions with others:

Building Skills for Dignified Disagreement Honoring someone’s dignity can be difficult, especially when situations get heated. Follow these steps when stress rises – and join the movement with others working to ease divisions, prevent violence, and solve problems by choosing dignity over contempt. Be curious, not furious When there is a disagreement, approach it with curiosity, using language that invites dialogue. Regulate then debate When you start to get upset, pause and take a breath before speaking. Challenge ideas, don’t attack people Speak your truth but do it with dignity. Acknowledge knowledge When someone else makes a logical or interesting point, acknowledge their point. Build up rather than tear down Advocate, explain, and build up your idea rather than just attacking others’ ideas and/or dehumanizing people. Listen to understand, not to respond Really listen to the other person and consider summarizing briefly what you heard. Credit: R. Keeth Matheny Each one of us is born with inherent worth, so we treat everyone with dignity—no matter what.” “ We fully engage with the other side, discussing even values and interests we don’t share, open to admitting mistakes or changing our minds.” “ We always talk to the other side, searching for the values and interests we share.” “ The other side has a right to be here and a right to be heard. They belong here too.” “ We’re better than those people. They don’t really belong. They’re not one of us.” “ We’re the good people and they’re the bad people. It’s us vs. them.” “ Those people are evil and they’re going to ruin everything if we let them. It’s us or them.” “ They’re not even human. It’s our moral duty to destroy them before they destroy us.” “ Lea rn mo re at dignity.us Ease Divisions. Prevent Violence. Solve Problems. Each one of us is born with inherent worth, so we treat everyone with dignity—no matter what.” “ We fully engage with the other side, discussing even values and interests we don’t share, open to admitting mistakes or changing our minds.” “ We always talk to the other side, searching for the values and interests we share.” “ The other side has a right to be here and a right to be heard. They belong here too.” “ We’re better than those people. They don’t really belong. They’re not one of us.” “ We’re the good people and they’re the bad people. It’s us vs. them.” “ Those people are evil and they’re going to ruin everything if we let them. It’s us or them.” “ They’re not even human. It’s our moral duty to destroy them before they destroy us.” “ Lea rn mo re at dignity.us Ease Divisions. Prevent Violence. Solve Problems. Learn more at dignity.us
This entry was posted in Elections, Information, Massachusetts Municipal Association, Political. Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a comment