The Dignity Index is designed to prevent violence, ease divisions, and solve problems.
←CONTEMPT
DIGNITY→
The Dignity Index scores distinct phrases along an eight-point scale from contempt to dignity. Lower scores (1-4) reflect divisive language while higher scores (5-8) reflect language grounded in dignity. In its pilot season, a trained group of students supported by the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute and the Hinckley Institute of Politics scored selections from candidate speeches, debates, fundraising outreach, social media posts, and campaign ads in Utah’s federal congressional races. By focusing on the speech and not the speaker, the Dignity Index is designed to draw our attention away from the biases of partisan politics and toward the power we each have to heal our country and each other.
Level one escalates from violent words to violent actions. It’s a combination of feeling the other side is less than human and calling for or approving violence.
The Subtext
They're not even human. It's our moral duty to destroy them before they destroy us.
Level two accuses the other side not just of doing bad or being bad, but promoting evil.
The Subtext
Those people are evil and they're going to ruin everything if we let them. It's us or them.
Level three attacks the other side’s moral character, not just their capabilities or competence.
The Subtext
We’re the good people and they’re the bad people. It’s us vs. them.
Level four mocks and attacks the other side’s background, their beliefs, their commitment, their competence, their performance.
The Subtext
We’re better than those people. They don’t really belong. They’re not one of us.
Level five listens to the other side’s point of view and respectfully explains their own goals, views, and plans.
The Subtext
The other side has a right to be here and a right to be heard. They belong here too.
Level six sees it as a welcome duty to work with the other side to find common ground and act on it.
The Subtext
We always talk to the other side, searching for the values and interests we share.
Level seven wants to fully engage the other side - discussing the deepest disagreements they have to see what breakthroughs they can find.
The Subtext
We fully engage with the other side, discussing even values and interests we don't share, open to admitting mistakes or changing our minds.
I can see myself in every human being, I refuse to hate anyone, and I offer dignity to everyone.
The Subtext
Each one of us is born with inherent worth, so we treat everyone with dignity--no matter what.