Self-respect, a source of confidence and mental strength, can be described as a person’s ability, which often originates from internal reasons, to accept their needs and value. To be able to respect themselves, humans need to appreciate their unique personality traits and the impact they have on the community and people around them. Sometimes people experience a series of events that change their views on self-respect and raise awareness of the ongoing internal conflicts that require self-reflection and understanding. By learning about the events that occurred in the life of Martin Luther King Jr. and the actions that he took as a response to them, I was able to understand the value of self-respect.
The events that influenced King the most happened during his childhood years. When King was six years old, his family resided on Auburn Avenue near a shop managed by a white family (Calkhoven 16). King occasionally played with his brother A.D. and one day decided to invite children from a nearby shop (Calkhoven 16). The children refused and explained their decision by telling King that they could not play with him and his brother because of their skin color (Calkhoven 16). The brothers were disappointed and could not understand the situation (Calkhoven 17). Later, King told his mother about the incident, and she did not show any sign of surprise (Calkhoven 17). The mother attempted to describe unspoken laws that did not permit black people to have certain privileges (Calkhoven 17). She wanted to teach her children to live with those laws and accept them (Calkhoven 17). However, King was dissatisfied with the situation and could not see how it could be justified. He believed that his personal qualities and skills were not inferior and that he had the same social and civil rights.
King’s mother supported the idea of equality and encouraged him to promote his opinions. The events in his early childhood affected his personality and motivated him to seek justice and understanding. By being able to recognize his self-worth, King was able to achieve a high level of self-respect. King’s belief in the equality of humans influenced his later work and defined his purpose. After the event with the shop owner’s children, King understood his importance and started to respect his desires and personality.
My views on self-respect were shaped by King’s experience and actions. Before learning of King’s experience, I believed that the ability to respect my personality was not crucial. I thought that the person’s confidence in their actions was mainly influenced by external factors such as other people or the community. Later, I realized that humans need to create internal sources of respect and not rely on social factors. King’s experience introduced the idea of a robust internal source of self-respect that was a vital part of his success in the search for equality. As a result, I was able to attain a higher level of self-reflection and appreciate my own needs and goals.
King’s experience and beliefs inspired me to focus on self-respect. His firm conviction that all people have equal rights in any social activity motivated him to promote equality and justice. He was able to respect his goals and needs by understanding his value and not following the negative influence of the community. By reading about the events that happened to King, I was able to change my perception of self-respect.
Work Cited
Calkhoven, Laurie. DK Life Stories Martin Luther King Jr. Penguin, 2019.