Due to some malicious words to my friend’s post, I kept thinking about respect recently. What is respect? Why and how should we respect? Is it a chiche?

What exactly is respect? The dictionary defines it as an act of giving particular attention or high or special regard. In fact it only outlines what respect may be. Respect is of great importance in everyday life. All people should be treated with respect simply because they are persons. Respect for persons is the central essence of morality and the foundation of all other moral duties and obligations.

In order to gain respect, one must respect his or herself first. Self-respect is holding your head high and respecting your own opinions. It’s acknowledging that you have own ideas and sharing them without being afraid of what others may think. Self-respect is the first step for being an independent individual. Without it, one would have no respect for others.

Respect of others includes one’s amily members, peers, teachers, parents, and everyone else.  It means adding a please at the beginning of a sentence and ma’am or sir at the end.  It means not to bad mouth or gossip others and to protect other’s privacies. It means to understand people’s disparities, such as different opinions, religions, sexual orientations, culture backgrounds, economic status, etc. when one can’t accept or support them. It means to acknowledge people’s equal rights. Respect is what brings people together. And if not used, it is what can tear people apart.

People’s contact is always a two-way street and like mirror image. One should check with him/herself first before complaining about no respect from others.