Part 2, Personals: On Self-Respect Summary and Analysis

When Didion was not elected to Phi Beta Kappa in college, she took it as a personal affront, even though she knew her grades were in no way good enough. Didion feels that is the moment she lost some of her innocence and began to see herself the way others did instead of through the rose colored glasses of self-confidence. Didion now believes that this loss of innocence is the beginning of self-respect, as the loss of innocence is also the loss of the ability to deceive herself. Self-respect is an important thing to develop because without it, a person will live in a world where only their failings matter. A person with self-respect still fails, but these people will use their failing to succeed rather than to hide in shame. Self-respect is a discipline...