“I cannot conceive of a greater loss than the loss of one's self-respect.”
Share this quote
Probable attribution
This saying is widely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, but the attribution is not supported by a reliable primary source.
Likely origin: Attributed to Gandhi; self-respect is a documented Gandhi theme, but no dated primary citation confirmed.
About this quote
Money, status, even reputation can be rebuilt, but the quiet regard you hold for yourself is far harder to recover once you've traded it away. It's the ground everything else stands on. Cutting a corner or swallowing an indignity for short-term gain can cost more than the gain is ever worth.
When to use it
- A worker turns down a promotion that would require lying to customers.
- Someone leaves a relationship where staying meant constantly apologizing for who they are.
- A contractor refuses a lucrative job that would cut unsafe corners on a family's home.