"You don't have to like me, but you will respect me!" We've all heard someone say this before at some point. You may have even said it yourself. Respect is more than just biting our tongue so we don't say the wrong thing to an elder or being so afraid of someone's reaction that we can barely even express ourself. Respect is evident when we show regard for other's feelings and are considerate to others despite past circumstances. Before we can ask someone to respect us, we must know what respect is. There are times when I see young ladies yelling out that someone needs to respect them, yet they go out and do things that are disrespectful to their selves by acting out in foolish ways in public because someone said something slick. There are males who would rather fight as a way of gaining respect because they feel as though someone looked at them the wrong way. To be respected, you must be someone worthy of being respected. Respecting others is the first step, because how you respect others determines how respectful you are deeming you worthy of respect. What we must do before we can ask for someone to respect us is to analyze our own behaviors that are worthy of being respected and evaluate the characteristics we possess that are likely to be disrespected. If we find ourselves being disrespected for the same things, maybe it is time to think of ways to change those behaviors. I know when some people hear that they need to change something about their self, they begin the argument that people need to like them for who they are. However, we need to understand that there are behaviors that we inherit and learn from our environment that are unacceptable and unworthy of being respected. It is nearly impossible to grow and mature by doing the same things from childhood. At some point, we have to learn and change to mature into a person worthy of being respected. Changing learned behaviors is something that is easier said than done, but with persistence it can be done.
