"I have humiliated myself in front of crowds a number of times. That’s how one improves."

Dignity and Other Obstacles to Success | Scott Adams Blog: "Personally, I think human dignity is one of the biggest obstacles to happiness, wealth, and success. I often credit my career success with a complete lack of human dignity. For example, if you take the Dale Carnegie course, as I did, part of the training involves acting silly in front of a crowd in order to release your dignity. Once you realize that your fear of losing face is the only thing making you nervous, you relax and things flow easily. Releasing my dignity has allowed me to make a fortune on the speaking circuit. I have humiliated myself in front of crowds a number of times. That’s how one improves. And my willingness to take that sort of risk is a big part of what puts me in a rare zone, fee-wise...

For practical reasons, I believe we should treat each other well, even when no one is watching. Human dignity adds nothing to that world view. Moreover, I have seen ego, dignity, and pride ruin lots of lives. I would go so far as to say that unless you have health issues, or you are unfairly imprisoned, the only thing that can keep you from happiness is an inflated view of your own self-worth. 

Sometimes life requires that we take jobs below our station until we learn skills, offer apologies even when we are wronged, suck-up to power when necessary, work long hours when we “deserve” some rest, risk embarrassment in front of witnesses, risk failure and humiliation, and get rejected by the people we hope to love. In that sort of game, the player unburdened with human dignity usually wins. Human dignity is, to a large degree, what made both of my parents suffer needlessly at the ends of their lives. I’m quite done with that form of magical thinking. And if California lawmakers decide I will not have a legal right to physician-assisted death, should I someday want it, I still have the right to own a gun, and that means I get to choose my exit."