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Dignity Friction

Glossary entry in Friction & flow. Definitions, checks, and evidence for Dignity Friction.

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Quick takeaways

Friction that preserves autonomy, such as double checks on irreversible actions and plain-language confirmation states.

Definition

Friction that preserves autonomy, such as double checks on irreversible actions and plain-language confirmation states. Dignity friction helps people understand consequences before commitment without shaming them for caution.

It differs from punitive friction because the cost is proportional to risk and paired with clear pathways forward.

AgencyTemporal
Scope
I. Friction & flow. Designing intentional friction that protects people while keeping harm contained.
Genealogy
Ethotechnics uses Dignity Friction to extend the i. friction & flow vocabulary and connect governance, design, and policy teams.

Adjacent terms

Humane Friction Appropriate Friction Reversibility

Related concepts

Also tagged: Agency

Stoppability Reversibility Fair Burden Distribution Contestability Explainability for Accountability Refusal-Tolerant Systems

Also tagged: Temporal

Fail-Safe Mode Fail-Open Mode Fail-Silent Mode Crumple Zone / Human-as-Crumple-Zone Harm Visibility Dead Zones / Moral Dead Zones

Example corpus

  • Before account deletion, the interface requires a brief confirmation with restore options and support contact details.

References

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Cite this glossary entry Formats: APA, MLA, Chicago, BibTeX, RIS

Version

v1.1.0

Last updated

Jan 9, 2026

DOI

Pending Zenodo deposit

APA

Ethotechnics Institute Research Team. (2026). Dignity Friction. Ethotechnics glossary. https://ethotechnics.org/glossary/dignity-friction

MLA

Ethotechnics Institute Research Team. "Dignity Friction." Ethotechnics glossary, 2026, https://ethotechnics.org/glossary/dignity-friction.

Chicago

Ethotechnics Institute Research Team. "Dignity Friction." Ethotechnics glossary. Jan 9, 2026. https://ethotechnics.org/glossary/dignity-friction.

BibTeX

@misc{glossary_dignity-friction,
  title={Dignity Friction},
  author={Ethotechnics Institute Research Team},
  year={2026},
  howpublished={Ethotechnics glossary},
  url={https://ethotechnics.org/glossary/dignity-friction},
  version={v1.1.0}
}

RIS

TY  - WEB
TI  - Dignity Friction
AU  - Ethotechnics Institute Research Team
PY  - 2026
UR  - https://ethotechnics.org/glossary/dignity-friction
ER  -

Scholarly metadata

Authorship

Contact: research@ethotechnics.org

Publication details

  • Published: Dec 3, 2025
  • Last updated: Jan 9, 2026
  • Version: v1.1.0
  • DOI: Pending Zenodo deposit

License: CC BY-SA 4.0

Credit Ethotechnics Institute, include the term title + version, and link to the glossary permalink.

Archive snapshot: Wayback capture

Changelog

  • v1.1.0 · 2026-01-09 — Expanded scholarly metadata, operational tests, and provenance notes.
  • v1.0.0 · 2025-12-03 — Initial glossary release with stable permalinks.