All my life ever since I was a young boy I was always told "respect your elders" "respect your boss" ect. ect. But i never thought the old man who through yelled racist words evertime he saw a black guy walking down the street "deserved" my respect because he showed no respect to the black guy. But I do respect lots of people because they do something that is brave or some thing like that becaused they worked to recive it, regardless of age or whatever. What do you think?
2006-10-21 19:40:26 · 18 answers · asked by The Young Philosopher 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
Back in the day...respect, especially for the elders, was a given. Today, our society is plagued by corruption and disrespect (like the old man you referred to) so it is hard to have respect for anyone anymore. You should always be respectful of yourself and the people you care about, live your life with dignity and treat people the way you want to be treated.
2006-10-21 21:35:40 · answer #1 · answered by nvjuliet 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A certain amount of respect is given to strangers, on the assumption they are worthy of it. As you get to know them, the needle on the meter is free to go up or down.
On the other hand, *showing* respect is something you have to do sometimes. Maybe it's because you are in an organization that requires that for proper functioning (the military) or possibly because the penalty for open disrespect is high (a poor job evaluation, or a fat lip).
The two often go together, but most people show respect when they feel it, or when the situation requires it.
2006-10-22 02:47:15 · answer #2 · answered by Steven S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, that all depends on your impressions of the word respect. When I think of respect a few words come to mind, such as admiration, courtesy and obedience. I believe that there are varying levels of respect to be chosen when and where they are appropriate or applicable. If I associated the word respect more with admiration and/or obedience then I would show respect to a very limited number of people. For most daily situations I see respect as courtesy, i.e. the old saying that "you should have respect for your fellow man". It is a difficult idea to contain in just one word. What it all comes down to is that respect is a good action for humanity practice for the good of the species and for the planet.
2006-10-22 03:32:58 · answer #3 · answered by wahbandit 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is a general level of respect that you should start at for everyone, and that is the "given".
Some have more "given" than others, as with your examples with elders and your boss.
For the "old guy on the street", he also deserved that general origin of respect; your level for him just lowered because he was racist.
The answer is both, but after the origin, all respect should be earned.
2006-10-22 02:44:26 · answer #4 · answered by Roka 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Respect should not be confused with good manners. Good manners are an outward sign of behavior and up-bringing. Respect if inside the mind and we show this to people who really impress us in so many ways. My philosophy is to avoid or limit severely the time spent with those who do not merit respect. That deals with a person's character but anyone who tries can show good manners.
2006-10-22 02:58:49 · answer #5 · answered by martha d 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree with you. There are so many people on this Earth that do not deserve respect. What I do is I treat everyone who is nice to me in a nice way. And if they do something wrong, I'll tell them in a nice way. If someone is bothering me I just won't give them the time of day. I'll let God deal with their ignorance. If someone is being rude to me, I just won't let him bug me. I'll do what I can to avoid him. If they get in my face, I'll be nice because it makes them feel like crap. Respect is to be earned, not by the length of your life, but by the good things that you have done in your life. Just because someone is older than you, in no way does it make them more intelligent. The same goes for someone who has a certain power.
2006-10-22 02:55:41 · answer #6 · answered by Samantha G 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Respect is earned when dealing with your peer group. Respect is to be given to elders to honor the experience they have earned. Even those elders who we disagree with, deserve our respect. We have not lived their lives and therefore do not understand their behavior. I try to respect everyone. Even my four old year son. Because he has feelings that can be hurt just like the adults in his life. However that respect includes discipline. To me, respect is way of interacting with the world, based on the golden rule. Treat others how you wished to be treated. Just my two cents.
2006-10-22 02:53:24 · answer #7 · answered by raintigar 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I say it's both, really. The example you give holds true, but I doubt it's a very fair to judge a person by a single incident. While you need to respect your elders, you need to use your judgement, and for those people who rub you the wrong way but people insist you respect them anyway, do it in a diplomatic manner so you don't compromise yourself, and nor will you come across as rude.
2006-10-22 02:44:19 · answer #8 · answered by boo! 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think to begin with, everyone should be treated with some respect.
Then, as time goes by, you can earn more respect.
Or, loose respect, depending on how you conduct yourself.
2006-10-22 02:49:00 · answer #9 · answered by star22 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Respect is a two-way street, so it must be earned and given, but not necessarily in that order.
2006-10-22 02:43:49 · answer #10 · answered by Rainfog 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋