RESPECT
Respect is defined as due regard for the feelings, wishes, or rights of others.
- It is beyond kneeling down or prostrating to greet one’s elder. Neither is it merely addressing the older ones as ‘Aunties’ or ‘uncles’ as some cultures teach while considering other cultures who don’t do the same as ‘lacking respect’.
- Yes, different cultures may have various ways of showing deference to the older ones but respect is beyond one’s manners of greeting. It is a universal phenomenon and transcends culture.
- Everyone, regardless of culture or background, color or creed has a duty to have respect for nature, humanity, and divinity as a core value.
- Respect is being considerate. Putting other people’s feelings into consideration and sensitivity to their probable situation before every word and action is respect.
- In a world where the mantra is ‘do it if it makes you happy’, ‘it’s all about you’, and ‘put you first’. This ideology has made selfishness and self-centeredness cool; children now feel comfortable telling their parents that it’s their lives and to be lived as deemed fit, not necessarily with much thought about their parents’ training, expectations, or even feelings. After all the parents also live their lives and their kids should be allowed to live theirs if it makes them happy regardless of whatever it poses to the community; danger or doom to their Neighborhood. Hmmm
- It’s a lack of respect (consideration) that makes a child whose parents strive to give good education, go to school only to join a cult/gang. If the child has been taught consideration as a character value and has imbibed it as a culture, he/she would find it abysmal to get involved in some activities that would break his/her parents’ hearts just to belong or bow to pressure.
- A respectful child remembers the child of who he/she is and shuns bad company and other such vices.
- A driver who respects his own life and that of other road users would adhere to traffic rules and drive responsibly knowing it determines life or death.
- Parents who respect their children, constantly consider the effects/impact of their choices, ways of life, and habits on the total wellness and healthy growth of their children.
- Living in fair consideration of others is showing respect. The life we live is not just about us, we need to think about generations and destinies tied to ours in making choices. This is respect.
Respect is being thoughtful, and deep-thinking. Always think through before doing; weighing actions and consequences.
Respect is attentiveness. Attentiveness is so missing in our communications in this age and the lack of it is causing great mayhem in homes, among couples, siblings, parent/children relationships, friends, neighbors, colleagues, places of worship, marketplace, and government.
There’s the global habit of total disrespect in communication which is fast becoming the norm rather than the misnormal, people hardly pay much attention to the one communicating with them long enough to read in-between the lines in the unspoken words through body language, facial expressions, tone of voice, pauses, and sighs. That’s why depression, addiction, and suicide are on the increase because we are surrounded by a multitude, who are with us yet not present. We are lonely in the midst of our own people. We are speaking yet unheard, visible yet unseen. Because my friend seems to have more interest in my social media personality which is mostly make-believe than in me, real life, a real person with real issues.
I believe that we have a better understanding now, knowing exactly what respect is. That it is far beyond what we’d thought it is and it’s worthy a value to consciously cultivate and pass on to others. The good thing is that respect begets respect. You get it when you give it. If each one starts respecting another, we might just herald a new order where respect becomes the norm in our homes and cascades to our communities and the society at large.
Thank you for reading. If you find this useful, kindly leave me your comments and thoughts. God bless you.
