What is the definition of respect?
If you were listening to Aretha Franklin belt out “R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me,” how would you describe the feelings that naturally bubble up inside of you? What is your definition of respect? Think about it from two perspectives, how you expect it to look when you receive it from others and how you give it.
Let’s define respect in a general way. A quick lookup of the word reveals the following of several definitions from the Oxford Dictionaries: “Respect: Due regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions of others.”
Respect for Others
When we show respect for another person, we do things like looking them in the eye to acknowledge their presence and show that we’re paying attention to their words. We listen to what they’re saying and communicate through both language and nonverbals that we’re thinking about and considering what they have said.
Respect for Ourselves
Respect is about honor and acknowledgment. We see respect from other people in everyday life when they communicate with and about us in positive ways. they validate us by speaking words about the good things we did, and talking about it to others while mentioning our names.
We show respect for other people by cooperating with them and compromising on things that we may be trying to accomplish together. Respect is about extending awareness, acknowledgment, validation, and appreciation for someone else.
The word respect is often used when discussing our relationship with, and attitude toward, people in authority. We’re expected to show respect for those in a leadership position or who hold some sort of social power or higher level of expertise. You will often hear the word respect when discussing how kids and teens should approach relationships with parents, teachers, coaches and other authority figures in their life.
However, even though we’re expected to show respect or reverence for those in charge of a group, it is also important to extend respect to our peers and members of our social circle. Even parents and teachers are taught by human psychology experts to speak to their children and the students that they teach in a respectful manner. This has to do with simply honoring the humanity in an individual. We should show respect for other humans, because they’re like us, and we’re like them. It has to do with healthy relationships. What this really is about is the golden rule. Respect has to do with treating others the way you would like to be treated.
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