To Anyone,
It is the seven letter word we are taught at such a young age: respect. The word that means so much but, nowadays, is very lacking. I remember being in elementary school and singing the lyrics, "Respect, find out what it means to me," but what does that mean?
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Respect means being able to take everyone's feelings into account and understand what it means to not act in a way that could upset them. There are so many different types of respect, and by that I mean there are so many different ways to respect a person and their values.
First, if you make plans with someone, or plan a day to spend time with another, make sure to keep timing in mind. If you tell your friend you are supposed to be at the beach at 12 p.m., do not show up at 12:30; your friend is going to be waiting for you, and that's not really respectful.
Second, if you know someone who has specific religious beliefs, or values, making fun of them or putting them down because they are different, is not respectful. People are allowed to be different and have different opinions, that is how the world works.
There are so many different ways to look at the world, respect. It has many different meanings and many different ways it can be used and even shown. In order to gain respect from your peers, you have to give respect. If you expect the cashier in a grocery store to respect you, you should respect him as well. Just because he works behind a counter does not mean he deserves disrespect and it definitely does not mean he should have to take it either. If you expect your professor to respect you in the classroom, you have to show them respect as well.
Most importantly, before you can respect someone else, you have to respect yourself. That does not mean to use, "Well, since I'm being disrespectful, guess I just don't respect myself," as an excuse. It simply means that in order to properly respect another person and understand what the meaning of respect is, you must first understand how you want to be treated, and how you deserve to be treated. That is the most important form of respect: self respect.
R.e.s.p.e.c.t. Find out what it means to me.
