Dignity is as essential to human life as water, food, and oxygen. The stubborn retention of it, even in the face of extreme physical hardship, can hold a man's soul in his body long past the point at which the body should have surrendered it.

Laura Hillenbrand
About This Quote

The notion of respect for one's self is a key ingredient in self-esteem. A group of people, no matter how cruel or petty they might be, cannot take away the respect you have for yourself. In this quote, O'Neill is talking about the soul, or the part of a person that makes them who they are. He also highlights the fact that dignity in a person carries over to their actions in a way that is almost impossible to explain.

Source: Unbroken: A World War Ii Story Of Survival, Resilience, And Redemption

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