Joan Didion writes that when she was in college, she was unable to get in to a sorority that she wanted to because she didn't have the grades, and that upset her greatly because up until that point she believed she could do anything she wanted to. She claims to have lost some of her self-respect at that point. She continues to write about the nature of self-respect; she says that it's not necessarily being perfect or abstaining from frowned-upon activities, but rather keeping one's chin up and bravin life as it comes. she states that: "People who respect themselves are willing to accept the risk that the Indians will be hostile, that the venture will go bankrupt, that the liaison may not turn out to be one in which every day is a holiday because you’re married to me. They are willing to invest something of themselves; they may not play at all, but when they do play, they know the odds." She goes on to say that this is a discipline which can be learned but can't be faked. Self-respect gives us an identity.
The article is very deep and philosophical, branching off into different subjects and referencing othe books and media at some points. This makes the writing flowery and thoughtful, but it might also be distracting and even boring. one must be in a contemplative mood to read this article. I partly agree with her views on self-respect, since people have different views on what that is. I think it's not simply to accept oneself, but to actually like oneself enough to take care of oneself. The author was a little vague in her ideas, and the conclusion was a bit foggy, but overall the article was a nice read.
http://profacero.wordpress.com/2010/11/29/joan-didion-on-self-respect/
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