Importance of respect in life

From a very young age, we are taught to be respectful to people around us. We are taught to respect our elders, our friends, our colleagues, our pets, and even ourselves. So much is this doctrine ingrained in us that we automatically look at a disrespectful person with disdain and dislike, ever even stopping to think why we should be respectful in the first place. The reason probably is that respect is the one thing that we take forth in our lives at all times. We look for it in everything that we do, and not being respected can come with disastrous consequences, both materially and spiritually. In this article, we will look at why it is important to be respectful.

You are appreciative

First of all, we need to be respectful in life because this is how we can appreciate things. Suppose you are someone who has become very successful in life. You have become rich and well known, and you have a family that you maintain very well with your wealth. However, none of these will matter if you do not respect what you have achieved in your life. If you do not respect the things that you currently possess, you will never really appreciate them and understand their value. As a result, you will ether neglect them or be dissatisfied with them. This can only lead to destruction.

You earn respect

You need to be respectful in order to gain the respect of others. Take the relationship between a father and a son, for instance. Suppose the father is the kind of person who is disrespectful of everything; he doesn’t appreciate the hard work his wife puts in the house, the grades his son receives, and the sacrifices his own parents had made to raise him properly. His nitpicking, callous, and ultimately disrespectful nature strikes a discord with the son and the rest of his family; tired of his attitude, they too learn to lose all respect for him. It is indeed difficult to continue to respect a person who is foul mouthed, abusive, and unappreciative.

You are less judgmental

Being respectful makes you less judgmental and more accommodating. While that is not to say that you must be accommodating and understanding always irrespective of the circumstances, it will still keep you from jumping into conclusions. You will learn to respect the feeling and sentiment of others. You will become more accommodating of differences and be a better fit socially and culturally. You will become a better listener and learn not to impose your thoughts on others. You will not stick to preconceived notions and be a lot more relaxed about personal differences you will have with other people.

You are more polite

Being respectful will automatically make you a lot more polite. You will not be someone who interrupts others while speaking, eager to get in your own word. You will also not be someone who imposes their will on others, neither someone who believes that they are better than everyone else. You will not dismiss other peoples’ pinions as invalid without giving them a second thought, and you will certainly not make fun of people simply because they are different or condone them because they do not conform to your point of view. You will not hang up the phone while someone is speaking, and you will not be the one who does not bother to get back to urgent messages.

You have a good social life

If you are respectful, you are automatically a better person, and that makes you instantly more likeable by the people around you. A respectful person is a delight to be around, and you will find yourselves swarmed by your friends’ attention. You will always be welcome in any friend or family member’s home because they will be comfortable in your presence; you will not be the kind of person who turns their nose up at anything. Since you are careful to not hurt anybody’s feelings, you will always be at your best behavior; you are the gracious host and an even more delightful guest.

You become a role model

Being respectful makes you a better role model for everyone. Since you know the importance of respect, you can be strict when you see someone putting anybody down. You are the kind of person who stands up to injustice against any creature, and the kind of person who likes to ensure that everyone gets along. Naturally, people get to learn from you and look up to you.
The root of all success is respect. If you are a respectful person, you automatically are seen as a reliable individual, and that makes you successful in your personal, professional, and social life.