We all have different people we look up to. We respect them, follow their advice, and sometimes even try to be like them. Most of the time, we can’t break down the exact reasons why we demand this respect from ourselves.
All we know is that there’s something about this person that we greatly appreciate and admire. These people may be role models or mentors to us. They could be our parents, spouses, friends – anyone who’s been important in our lives so far.
We Don’t Automatically Respect Everyone We Meet in Life
Respect is integral to any relationship and essential to raising healthy children. But respect isn’t a given, and it’s not blind. We don’t automatically respect everyone we meet in life. We have to earn it. And when it comes to our children, we need to teach them how to earn it.
We don’t respect the person who cuts us off in traffic or walks into a room and doesn’t say hello. We don’t respect the person who steals our parking space or the person who doesn’t hold the door open for us. Respect isn’t a given, and it’s not blind.
We need to teach our children that respect is earned from others over time – through actions and words – not just from us because they’re our children or live under our roof. Children must learn that respect isn’t automatic but must be earned over time through actions if they’re to build healthy relationships with others later in life.
The People We Respect Most
Respect, like love, is a two-way street. You can’t expect to get it from someone if you don’t give it. And you can’t give great respect to someone who doesn’t deserve it. It’s a choice we make every day.
The People We Respect the Most Are the Ones We Think Are Respectable, Who’ve Earned Our Respect Through Their Actions and Words – the Ones Who’ve Made Us Proud
Sometimes you may think someone deserves your respect, but then you realize he or she hasn’t earned it. Maybe someone says something hurtful or does something unfair or unkind. Maybe he or she did something wrong, and you’re disappointed that he or she didn’t do better.
If someone behaves disrespectfully toward you or others, you can choose to disrespect him or her by refusing to listen or ignoring his or her opinion altogether.
Respect is earned over time through experience and familiarity with a person’s qualities and characteristics – how they behave toward others, how they treat those around them, how they talk about certain things and people, etc.
Family Members
We often respect our parents because they gave us life and raised us. They’re the elders who cared for us when we were young, needy, and vulnerable, so they have a special place in our hearts and minds.
This is the natural order of things – A child looks up to his parents as role models, caregivers, protectors, and advisors. And parents often reciprocate these feelings by showering their children with love and care. However, there are instances when someone feels that one of their parents shouldn’t be a respected person.
In some cases, people feel that a parent has only caused them grief and stress throughout their lives because they were too self-centered or didn’t show any kindness during their family life.
There can be many reasons why someone feels that their parents don’t deserve respect: Maybe they were too strict, maybe they were never there when you needed them most, maybe they acted with disrespectful behavior, or maybe they just didn’t care about what was going on in the family life – no matter how big or small it was!
We don’t always respect every family member, and sometimes we’d instead respect a cousin, sibling, or grandparent because we have more common ground with them.
Friends
Friends are the people who help us feel better about ourselves. They’re the ones who listen to your problems without judging, and they’re the ones who give you advice when you need it most.
They’re Also the Ones Who Can Be There for You When No One Else Is
The most important thing is that true friends are willing to drop everything to help a friend in need, no matter what time of day or night. They’re honest and don’t hold back when something is on their mind.
They Also Allow Us to Show the Real Us Around Them – Our Good and Bad Parts, Not Just What We Want Others to See or Expect of Us
This kind of openness among friends requires an incredible amount of familiarity. Otherwise, most friendships dissolve into awkward silences or hurt feelings when real life gets too complicated. Sometimes with true friends, you don’t need to say anything; they can simply read your body language.
Leaders
When you respect someone, you admire them for who they’re and what they do. Not all leaders earn your genuine respect.
A good leader earns your respect through their actions, not just their title, and should be able to lead by example. If they want you to follow them, they need to show they’re willing to follow themselves.
A good leader is someone who’s earned the trust of their followers through hard work, honesty, and integrity. They know that leadership is more than holding a title or being responsible for others; it’s about helping others achieve their goals and succeed with dignity and self-esteem.
A good leader can learn a lot because they approach situations differently.
They Can Follow Through Without Being Pushy or Rude
They also know how to delegate tasks so everyone feels that their input is essential, rather than just being told what to do without having a say in how things should be done differently.
Respect can’t be given just like that because it takes time and effort on both sides of the relationship for that feeling of mutual respect to develop between two people or groups.
Coworkers
Coworkers are the other employees you work with in your everyday life. They’re the ones who keep your business running by doing their jobs well or helping others do their jobs well. Coworkers can be great mentors, friends, and even your salvation when things get tough at work.
Role models
When you’re looking for role models, it’s important to remember that you can find them everywhere. Our parents, teachers, and friends are all great role models we may want to emulate. But so are our favorite actors, actresses, or even the fictional characters we see on TV.
Anyone who’s done something that makes you look up to them with admiration is a potential role model – no matter how different they’re from your life situation. While it’s great when a parent inspires you to behave well (or instills positive values), don’t limit yourself by thinking that only one respected person counts as a role model!
We don’t automatically respect every human being we meet in life, but the people we respect the most are the ones we feel deserve it.
Recognizing the good qualities of others and their weaknesses and flaws is essential. This helps us develop our sense of right and wrong – and helps us treat others with more compassion!
Respect Quotes
- “Knowledge will give you power, but character respect.” – Bruce Lee
- “When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you.” – Lao Tzu
- “I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university.” – Albert Einstein
- “Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?” – Confucius
- “I have great respect for the past. If you don’t know where you’ve come from, you don’t know where you’re going. I have respect for the past, but I’m a person of the moment. I’m here, and I do my best to be completely centered at the place I’m at, then I go forward to the next place.” – Maya Angelou