Respect is needed no required
If thieves had to respect the system of getting paid for their work they wouldn’t steal or politicians respecting their promises which affects their integrity resulting in actual community uplifting progress. If all police officers showed respect to every person they talk to the community would show respect and not fear or anger towards law enforcement.
Respect - Admiration felt or shown for someone or something that you believe has good ideas or qualities.
“Men are respectable only as they respect.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
A virtue that is lacking in society and you notice it almost everywhere. Walk into a store and you hear a rich person speaking out loud with a vulgar attitude “Do you know how much this cost, more than your life” and life is priceless but the approach of disrespect is accepted. If we took a moment to stay calm and show self-control wouldn’t the problem be handled quicker with less complication but no, customers storm in looking for the manager and starts shouting.
“Never respect men merely for their riches, but rather for their philanthropy; we do not value the sun for its height, but for its use.” Gamaliel Bailey
Back to the gangster perspective. I was surrounded by thugs growing up and when it comes to judges and doctors they have very polite speech patterns but as for the rest of society, gangsters choose to talk with disrespect. They throw things around and swear at whatever they can with an angry attitude the whole time to display dominance like a gorilla in the jungle. If they respected people they wouldn't point guns at their faces or walk in the house slamming does. They wouldn't sell drugs to kids or use kids to sell drugs if they respected the youth.
“I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me… All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.” Jackie Robinson
I can go on and on with multiple comparisons on respect vs disrespect and how a simple virtue can change our society. Pollution is ignored when one person litters but becomes a worldwide problem when 10 million people are doing it all the time but if those very same mass of people respects nature our planets pollution levels will drop overnight. The pandemic was a perfect example of it, during lockdown when half the world was inactive and the mist of smoke cleared up so much that a collage of before and after photos started trending on the internet.
“Respect other people’s feelings. It might mean nothing to you, but it could mean everything to them.” Roy T. Bennett
Do we even bother to teach children to respect not through shouting but through lifestyle? Shows on the internet and television display kids that speak with disrespect while the adults look on in confusion. No awareness is brought to the issue that the child is telling an adult “shut up” but then again the adult is screaming at the child “shut up”. Even the churches are telling people that Christians have the right to be rude because they are children of the king and therefore must act like it.
“Treat people the way you want to be treated. Talk to people the way you want to be talked to. Respect is earned, not given.” Hussein Nishah
Respect
A virtue needed in the time of covid-19. Please respect the fact that I would like to wear a mask and respect your health situation if you have contracted the virus. If world leaders respected the severity of this pandemic then it would have had a better impact on their nation. If society respected the severity of the virus then the infectious rate wouldn’t have been that high resulting in a lower death rate.
“If we lose love and self-respect for each other, this is how we finally die.” Maya Angelou
Need I say more if fact it is endless the amount of disrespect we observe from our own bosses and managers to our colleagues. Pay attention to the way they talk about the business and their superiors. Take a moment and look at your friends and family and what they laugh at, what they find funny and begin to see the underlining negativity tolerated as humor, see how strangers reacted when they get angry if there is any self-control. Look deeper into the entertainment we enjoy and see how disrespect has been normalized for society's acceptance.
“If you have some respect for people as they are, you can be more effective in helping them to become better than they are.” John W. Gardner
It’s up to the virtuous now, those with ethics and integrity to inspire the world to be respectful. I wanted to say it is up to you but I don’t know the real you. Maybe I met the pretentious you who puts on an act for the public eye, wait, I think that is what’s needed. Yes, you, please pretend to show respect, your act will motivate the next person to make that attempt and if it doesn’t then simply ask them or tell them, if need be, to be respectful to all in every given situation and change the world from the inside out.
“It may be important to great thinkers to examine the world, to explain and despise it. But I think it is only important to love the world, not to despise it, not for us to hate each other, but to be able to regard the world and ourselves and all beings with love, admiration, and respect.” Hermann Hesse
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