Demand respect and at best what’s given is a token

I was talking with someone today about the kind of person who demands respect from a place of power and how ineffective that is for actually receiving respect.

I guess it all depends on the country you live in and its culture, but those who insist they be respected, because of the role they have or the rank they wear, are only shooting themselves in the foot.  They command enmity.

But a person who has power who shows grace, bears triviality patiently, goes the extra mile for subordinates, that person is a leader, because they’re humble.  They command respect because they don’t command it.

The tokenistic respect that is given anyone who demands it is not only a lie, but it’s comes loaded with pent up disdain that moment things turn pear shaped for the one who rests on their positional power.

Humility is the best master any of us can have, because in putting others first—whoever they are and whatever they do—we create goodwill that is not only reciprocated but that builds respect and confidence through inspiration.

Humility exists solely in belief for the other.  It wants the best for the other.

Humility expressed by putting others first crushes fear in everyone, because social fear—the fear of what a person might do to you or might deprive you of—creates distrust and a constant looking over the shoulder.

But I sense we’ve all experienced someone who doesn’t get that life is a social construct, and they don’t need to be above us in the pecking order to wield their weight.

The person who so intentionally makes life hard for us is also inevitably making life hard for others. One who is disrespected ultimately takes that source of angst with them and it can spill over into their family and others, through anger, sadness, anxiety, or fear.

Disrespect destroys the fabric of relationships, but humility builds and weaves strength into relationships through simple and easy sacrifices made.

Disrespect is a rejection in reciprocation waiting to happen, but humility builds the will for the reciprocation of honour and praise.

Respect people through humility, putting others first, and everyone wins.

Even when we find ourselves on opposite sides, we can respect each other enough to find the other person’s view compatible with their thinking.  Think of the impasses that could be avoided simply in two divergent views appreciating the diversity.

We really don’t need to succumb to another person’s viewpoint to agree with part of it.  Surely we can see that they’re not an idiot, because if we think that, they’ll soon see us with similar derision.

Photo by Jackson David on Unsplash