Self-respect

n.kind, resilientwarm

What it means

Regard for one's own dignity, standards, and legitimate boundaries.

Reach for it when naming the inner worth that supports fair treatment and principled choices

Self-respect helped Inez decline the role when the promised safeguards disappeared.

everyday
confidence
when belief in one's ability supports the decision
not when Confidence can exist alongside accepting degrading treatment.
everyday
pride
when satisfaction in identity or work motivates care
not when Pride can seek superiority, while self-respect need not compare anyone.
warm
self-worth
when unconditional personal value is the message
not when Self-respect also includes standards for one's own conduct.
professional
self-esteem
when overall positive self-evaluation is being discussed
not when A person may have uneven self-esteem yet uphold self-respecting boundaries.
formal
dignity
when inherent worth and freedom from humiliation are central
not when Dignity is possessed regardless of whether the person currently feels self-respect.
formal
integrity
when adherence to principles earns inner regard
not when Integrity concerns moral consistency, not the full relationship with oneself.
formal
self-regard
when neutral attention to one's own interests is intended
not when It may sound vain and lacks the ethical boundaries of self-respect.
literary
honor
when personal standards carry a solemn moral weight
not when Honor can be social and reputation-based, unlike inward self-respect.

sense of self-respect
Earning her own fare restored a sense of self-respect after months of dependence.
maintain self-respect
He could apologize fully and still maintain self-respect.
basic self-respect
Basic self-respect led the crew to request clean protective clothing.

The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.