Dignity

While researching another topic I came across a word that seems to be the word of the moment.  Someone I know said something about dignity and it has gotten me thinking.  Being taught I come from an ape makes it hard for me to equate humanity with dignity.
While considering these things, out of the blue I came across a sentence at the Ethics Centre.  “…within…Christianity…, the intrinsic dignity of persons comes from being made in the image of God.”
I have been wondering where my dignity came from and even if dignity was an ok thing to have.
This is just thinking aloud.  It is not meant to be a final word on the subject but is just a refection of some of the things I have thought while looking at this.
While I agree with the sentence above about the origin of my dignity I think it is as much positional as it is personal.  By that I mean Kings and heads of state are often treated with dignity.  Much of the pomp and circumstance surrounding them is born of their position.  It comes with the territory.
I actually reckon there are few things as bad as seeing someone in a position where they are treated with dignity but don’t deserve the dignity being shown.  They may have obtained a position of dignity through a power grab or by cunning.  Having a position and earning a position can be two different things in my mind. 
In many cases the dignity that goes with the position is not sought.  It is not the reason for pursuing the position.  It is a consequence of the position.  Like the consequence of hard work is often promotion.
In my mind the best consequence of personal dignity is positional dignity.  That actually rarely visibly happens.  Yet so often even a person who is down and out and suffered a bad turn of events, exhibits personal dignity.
But to obtain positional dignity does not require personal dignity.  As stated above sometimes it is just a consequence of a power grab or cunning. 
This is a personal opinion, but I cannot name any statesmen in the world today.  I can name some from the recent past but cannot name any now. 
Yet as far as I am concerned anyone who maintains their dignity in everyday life deserves statesman status.  They may be hidden from view, or not in positions of great influence, but their influence wherever they go is a good one built on integrity.  The pomp and circumstance may be lacking but the personal dignity is not.
That is what I aspire to, and I will put in the hard yards.  Let the cards fall where they will.