Let me turn to a brief discussion of some basic aspects of the philosophy of non-violence.

First, it must be emphasized that non-violent resistance is not a method for cowards; it does resist. If one uses this method because he is afraid or merely because he lacks the instruments of violence, he is not truly non-violent. This is why Gandhi often said that if cowardice is the only alternative to violence, it is better to fight. He made this statement conscious of the fact that there is always another alternative: no individual or group need submit to any wrong, nor need they use violence to right the wrong; there is the way of non-violent resistance. This is ultimately the way of the strong man. The method is passive physically, but strongly active spiritually. It is not passive non-resistance to evil, it is active non-violent resistance to evil.

A second basic fact that characterizes non-violence is that it does not seek to defeat or humiliate the opponent, but to win his friendship and understanding. The non-violent resister must often express his protest through non-cooperation or boycotts, but he realizes that these are not ends themselves; they are merely means to awaken a sense of moral shame in the opponent. The end is redemption and reconciliation.

Find the word from the passage which means "lower the self-dignity or self-respect of":

Question

Let me turn to a brief discussion of some basic aspects of the philosophy of non-violence.

First, it must be emphasized that non-violent resistance is not a method for cowards; it does resist. If one uses this method because he is afraid or merely because he lacks the instruments of violence, he is not truly non-violent. This is why Gandhi often said that if cowardice is the only alternative to violence, it is better to fight. He made this statement conscious of the fact that there is always another alternative: no individual or group need submit to any wrong, nor need they use violence to right the wrong; there is the way of non-violent resistance. This is ultimately the way of the strong man. The method is passive physically, but strongly active spiritually. It is not passive non-resistance to evil, it is active non-violent resistance to evil.

A second basic fact that characterizes non-violence is that it does not seek to defeat or humiliate the opponent, but to win his friendship and understanding. The non-violent resister must often express his protest through non-cooperation or boycotts, but he realizes that these are not ends themselves; they are merely means to awaken a sense of moral shame in the opponent. The end is redemption and reconciliation.

Find the word from the passage which means "lower the self-dignity or self-respect of":

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 1:

The question asks you to identify the word from the provided passage that means "lower the self-dignity or self-respect of." To answer this type of vocabulary-in-context question, you must first define the target phrase, and then find the word in the text that carries that precise meaning. The phrase "lower the self-dignity or self-respect of" is a clear definition of the verb "to humiliate." When a person is humiliated, their pride, dignity, or self-respect is severely damaged or lowered, often publicly or intentionally.

Looking at the second paragraph of the passage, which discusses the goals of non-violent resistance, we see the sentence: "A second basic fact that characterizes non-violence is that it does not seek to defeat or **humiliate** the opponent, but to win his friendship and understanding." In this context, the passage explicitly separates the act of defeating an opponent from the act of humiliating them, suggesting that humiliation involves a psychological or emotional attack on their dignity, which is exactly what the prompt asks for. Non-violence seeks to avoid this lowering of dignity and instead aims for understanding and reconciliation. Since the core meaning of "humiliate" is to cause a painful loss of pride or dignity, Option 1 is the most accurate synonym for the definition provided in the question.

The incorrect option is 2:

The word "defeat" means to win a victory over an opponent in a battle, contest, or argument, or to overcome a difficult challenge. While defeat can certainly *lead* to lowered self-respect, the word itself primarily denotes the cessation of resistance or the failure to win, not the specific emotional state of lowered dignity. The passage treats "defeat" and "humiliate" as two distinct potential negative outcomes that non-violence seeks to avoid.

The incorrect option is 3:

The phrase "moral shame" refers to the deep emotional distress or guilt felt by a person who realizes they have done something wrong or immoral. While the passage mentions that non-cooperation is a means "to awaken a sense of **moral shame** in the opponent," shame is an internal feeling or consequence, not the action of *lowering* another person's self-respect. Furthermore, "moral shame" is a two-word noun phrase, whereas the question asks for a single word that acts as a verb ("lower the self-dignity...").

The incorrect option is 4:

The word "reconciliation" means the restoration of friendly relations or harmony, or the process of making one view compatible with another. The passage identifies reconciliation as the *end* goal of non-violence. It is a positive, constructive outcome that follows the non-violent struggle and is entirely opposite in meaning to the destructive action of "lowering self-dignity."