The Sovereignty of a Person’s Dignity

---

My NoSmalltalk session with Dr. Manish Jain

by Albert Schiller

The Misconception of Empowerment

The modern lexicon of empowerment is often framed as a transaction, a benevolent act where those with power grant agency to those without. This view, however well-intentioned, is fundamentally flawed. It positions dignity as a gift to be bestowed rather than an inherent quality to be recognized. Dr. Manish Jain’s work offers a direct counter-philosophy. His approach is not built on the idea of giving anything to the transgender community. Instead, it is a systematic process of removing the internal and external obstacles that obscure a person’s pre-existing, sovereign dignity. The work is not an act of granting empowerment. It is an act of creating the conditions for self-realization.

The Architecture of Self-Worth

The most formidable barrier to claiming one's dignity is often internal. Years of societal rejection and marginalization can corrode an individual’s sense of self-worth so entirely that they no longer believe they are deserving of basic respect. Jain illustrates this with a striking example. An employee came to his office to discuss a problem, but was so overcome with emotion after being invited to sit and offered a cup of tea that the employee began to cry. He had never before been shown such a simple, human courtesy. The gesture eclipsed the problem he had come to solve. He felt he could now handle it himself. This indicates a core notion of Jain’s method: before any corporate or societal change can take root, the individual must first be shown that they are worthy of a seat at the table.

The External Resistance

Even when a transgender individual begins to build a new sense of self-worth, they face powerful external forces that seek to pull them back into their old life. Jain describes a persistent resistance from within the marginalized communities themselves. Figures like a "guru" or "madam," who control the economies of begging and sex work, often deride the choice to take a "menial" corporate job. They frame a life of dignity and stable, albeit lower, income as a foolish trade for the potential of earning more in a single night. This creates a severe psychological conflict for the individual, a battle fought not just for a paycheck, but for the very definition of their own value against the community that once provided their only source of safety and identity.

The Corporate Mirror

A corporation that hires a transgender individual without adequate preparation becomes a powerful instrument of invalidation. A job offer may open the door, but an environment that lacks the proper "hardware," like gender-neutral restrooms, or "software," like sensitized HR policies, sends a clear and damaging message: "We hired you, but we are not truly ready for you." This corporate unpreparedness acts as a mirror, reflecting the individual’s deepest insecurities and reinforcing the societal view of them as an anomaly. A company's failure to do the necessary groundwork is not a simple logistical oversight. It is an active violation of the person's emerging dignity, undermining the very foundation of self-respect that the job was meant to build.

Uncovering, Not Granting

Ultimately, Jain’s work synthesizes these insights into a single, coherent philosophy. Dignity cannot be transferred from one person to another. It is not a commodity to be given. His role, therefore, is not that of a savior bestowing a gift, but of a facilitator who clears away the debris. He creates a space by creating environments that foster internal self-worth, providing support against external resistance, and demanding that corporations reflect true acceptance. Within that space, an individual can finally see what was there all along: their own inherent value. The work is not to light a candle for someone, but to give them the tools and the clear air to light their own.

5 Lessons with practical values-

Open Questions

1. Jain’s work suggests that a lack of preparation by a company is an "active violation" of an employee's dignity. Beyond the obvious policies, what is one subtle, often-overlooked aspect of your own company's culture that might unintentionally undermine a new employee's sense of belonging and worth?

2. The "pull" from a former community can be a powerful de-motivator. In a professional context, how can a leader help a team member navigate external pressures that conflict with their growth and success, without overstepping professional boundaries?