Dignity of Risk and Attributions About the Other

Dignity and indignity, risk and safety, are pairs of concepts on a continuum, and this continuum can have fuzzy boundaries and differing interpretations. Risk is typically defined and apprehended by an actor and an observer and can shift according to time, place, context, and voice. Moreover, when the dignity of risk is considered, it typically involves the subject who is deemed to be taking the risk(s) and the other who is considering protection or safeguards and weighing in at a specific moment in time, focusing on a window of information and conceptualization. This can lead to reflexive responses and confirmatory biases. This article draws on the author's experience as a psychologist and clinical ethicist and focuses on judgments about the other, the meaning of risk, and the confounding nature of human perceptions and attributions about risk. As humans in relationship with each other, we are imperfect evaluators of risk for the other. Humility and an openness to situational factors may open up much needed space for reflection.