Their website presents as:
"Our disagreements aren’t causing the divisions in our country; it’s what we do when we disagree. The Dignity Index® scores distinct phrases along an eight-point scale from contempt to dignity. By focusing on the sound bites, not the people behind them, the Index attempts to stay true to its own animating spirit: that everyone deserves dignity."
Their invitation to the world to make a Dignity Pledge and to attend the inaugural summit2 appeals to the good desires and hopes of many for a better world.
As we read their 8-point index,3 it is easy to be impressed with the sentiments expressed, but are we cognizant of the compound nature4 of all things created by man and thus, the potential for abuse of this Index? Could there be a dark side to indexing speech?
Undoubtedly, many of the co-creators, advocates, administrators, and staff5 of the Dignity Index are sincerely endeavoring to do good and create a better world, but the great danger of the Dignity Index will be if we pretend there is no dark use — if, in our increasingly secular world of acceptance, affirmation, and permissiveness, we are blindly led through the wide gate and down the broad way that Jesus warned of:
13 ¶ Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:But what could possibly be a dark use of the Dignity Index if we are indexed to “appreciate dignity and challenge contempt”?
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it (New Testament | Matthew 7:13–14).
So much depends on the eye, ear, and integrity of a beholder. Who decides what offends dignity? What decides what manifests contempt? Who sets out the rankings and consequences?
Does the Dignity Index have any shades of a SICO6 (rhymes with FICO) system of control? — a Socially Indexed Credit Obedient or a Socially Indexed Credit Offender system? — a system of increasing strangulation manifesting more and more with each passing day?
And where would Christ rate on the Dignity Index from Mathew’s account (a portion of which is given here):
13 ¶ But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.For a visual example of this event, see The Chosen, Season 5, Episode 3 circa minutes 30:00 – 40:00, and for additional text examples, see here.7
14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? (New Testament | Matthew 23:13 – 17)
And what of John the Baptist or most any of the old lamenting prophets:
7 ¶ But when [John] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?How soon might every call to repentance be deemed speech of contempt and offensive to dignity?
8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: (New Testament | Matthew 3:7-8)
Yes, we are to view and treat all people “as born free and equal in dignity and rights,” but how far does dignity extend beyond the person if actions and philosophies corrupt truth and justice? Do we not know that social dignity / acceptance is the aspiration of the Aleister Crowley-“Do-what-thou-wilt” crowd8; of the NAMbLA9 advocacy group; of pederasts grooming children; of drag-queens entertaining children; of trans-activists in women's spaces; of trans-athletes in women's sports; of self-obsessed diva / divos pursuing fame, etc., etc. Considering the natural man10 and all the déjà vu corruptions and contortions of this world, can we not foresee the future indexing of large portions of scripture, literature, speech, opinion, protest, and exposé as contemptible and subject to censure or punishment?
Let us monitor with a keen eye where this Dignity Index is headed. Let us not allow it to be weaponized against freedoms, rights, truth, and justice.
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* Current definition: Dignity is the right of a person to be valued and respected for their own sake, and to be treated ethically. In this context, it is of significance in morality, ethics, law and politics as an extension of the Enlightenment-era concepts of inherent, inalienable rights. The term may also be used to describe personal conduct, as in "behaving with dignity". The content of contemporary dignity is derived from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, summarized in the principle that every human being has the right to human dignity. In Article 1, it is stipulated that 'All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dignity#:~:text=Dignity%20is%20the%20right%20of,concepts%20of%20inherent%2C%20inalienable%20rights.
1.https://www.dignity.us/index
"Ease Divisions.
"Prevent Violence.
"Solve Problems.
"We formed UNITE in 2018 to find ways to help ease divisions in the country. In 2021, we began developing the Dignity Index, an eight-point scale for measuring how we talk to each other when we disagree. Our faith in the Index is grounded in a few core beliefs:
"Contempt causes division; dignity eases division.
If we put a spotlight on dignity and contempt, we will use more dignity and less contempt.
If we show Americans how they can help ease our divisions, they will jump on it.
In October 2022, we publicly introduced the Index in Utah during the mid-term elections, scoring political speeches on a weekly basis. The Index was seen as reliable, fair, and intuitive. Voters from opposite ends of the spectrum were able to agree on scores, and the media covered the Index eagerly on TV, newspapers, and radio. In the Utah project and the response since then, we’ve identified three findings that give us confidence the Index can make a national impact: "
https://www.dignity.us/about#our-team
https://www.dignity.us/
https://www.timothyshriver.com/projects/the-dignity-index
https://gardner.utah.edu/the-dignity-index/
https://emotionalcompetency.com/hdi/index.htm
2. "Take the Dignity Pledge
"As an American who knows and loves my country, I am convinced there is no America without democracy, no democracy without healthy debate, and no healthy debate without dignity; therefore, I pledge to do more to treat others with dignity, not contempt."
https://www.dignity.us/summit
"Your Invitation from Tim Shriver, co-creator of The Dignity Index On behalf of the Dignity Index, I invite you to be a part of our inaugural summit. We’re building a new culture based on honoring each person’s dignity — each person’s inherent worth. We welcome you to join our movement. Our summit is a unique opportunity to connect as a community and accelerate the work of honoring each other’s dignity, easing divisions, preventing violence, and solving problems."
3. https://www.dignity.us/index
4. https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2025/08/two-baskets-of-figs.html
5. https://www.dignity.us/about#our-team
6. https://dejavu-times.blogspot.com/2021/01/when-fico-becomes-sico.html
https://dejavu-times.blogspot.com/2020/01/a-china-syndrome.html
https://dejavu-times.blogspot.com/2022/11/campaign-sico.html
7. https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2022/03/speaking-truth-to-power-new-testament.html
https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2016/01/part-two-evil-speaking-discernment.html
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleister_Crowley
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Man/Boy_Love_Association
10. https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2010/05/natural-man.html
