Respect is free, so why must we earn it?

I know that most people say that you have to earn respect, but take a moment to think about that...

Is earning respect really what this world has come to?

When did respect become such a rare commodity that it only gets handed out to people who jump through a bunch of hoops or meet certain imaginary criteria?

If I’m being frank, that is such a ridiculous notion!

Respect should be a basic part of human interaction. Being respectful is just what a decent human being does.

What we see a lot of in society is the selective practice of giving respect specifically to people we like and admire, or people we believe we can get something out of.

This type of conditional respect is something is something I absolutely loathe, because it is manipulative and shows a complete lack of character.

Would you want to only be respected based on the premise that you can be of use to someone?

Too often people are ready to disrespect others who they see as beneath them for whatever (e.g. class, social status, finances, appearance etc).

They may even lose respect for someone who they find cannot be manipulated as easily as they wish, which shows an inherent lack of respect in the first place.

No one should have to prove why they deserve respect from another person. The fact that they are a person should be enough of a reason!

I know what you’re thinking right now: what if the person is being disrespectful? Why would you still respect them?

My answer to that is: not all disrespect must be responded to with equal disrespect.

When you are a person of true character, you’ll see more importance in maintaining your integrity, rather than lowering yourself to someone else’s level of pettiness.

Sometimes, walking away while allowing the other person displays their own poor behaviour is the better course of action.

Now, I’m not saying that you should never defend yourself.

But what I am saying is that respect should be a standard for us as a society and that we should be open to showing others grace.

Giving grace can be so important, because not everything we perceive as disrespect is done with that intention.

There are times when it could just be a simple misunderstanding, a cultural difference or an innocent mistake.

It is moments like these where your kind regard for others and willingness to give the benefit of the doubt could potentially save or strengthen relationships that may have been destroyed otherwise.

In closing, I just wish that more of us would accept that ALL interactions should start off with respect as a foundation, regardless of whether we believe the relationship will be progressed further.

📚📚📚📚📚

Enjoyed this blog? Click here to subscribe to the Be You Channel on YouTube with 🗣️ @SafiyaSpeaks, where we do a deep dive into personal development and look at it through the lens of authenticity.

✨ Click to subscribe ✨