Hey everyone, this guide is by request so PLEASE don't flame.
Matt's Basic Guide on Respect!!
Let's begin!
I. What is respect?
The meaning of the word respect is trickier than it may seem. We've all heard it a million times; you must show respect, you must be respectful, respect your parents, etc. But understanding what it truly means is crucial to be able to do any of these things.
The meaning of respect changes over time; young children view respect much differently than young adults, and young adults view respect much differently than our parents, etc. However, age is not the only determinant of how respect is perceived. How you show respect should also depend on the situation. A business meeting requires a much different form of respect than a casual date, and that would be much different from the respect you would show your peers. So, what is respect, and was is its connotation?
I feel like an overarching definition of respect can be summed up by a few simple words;willingness to show honor or consideration, independent of the situation itself. I will get into the differences this can mean later on in the guide. This is just a basic, working understanding of the meaning of "respect" used in this guide.
II. Why do you need to be respectful?
In my opinion, there are a few differing opinions on how to go about answering this question. The first is; "we should show respect because it will help us achieve something, or prevent something bad from happening." This is a very concrete, literal interpretation, and this is commonly shown in students when they "kiss-up" to their teachers. It's generally frowned upon, because it is showing fakeness and weakness of character. You generally respect people in this manner because you are forced to, or there will be consequences.
While this definition is fair, a more accurate answer that can apply to more situations is; "we should be respectful to others in order to ultimately earn this respect from others. Think of all the people you "respect", not because of the consequences, but because of certain actions they have done. Are most of these people respectful? Yes. What goes around comes around. If you live your life showing "respect" for people, then more people will ultimately "respect" you right back.
A third potential reason to show respect is because you truly revere and honor the person. You know from previous experiences that the person is respectable and honorable, and you want to basically show respect because of the respect this person deserves. It's not because it will help you with something, and it's not because you want this person's respect in return; it's because you want to show your gratitude towards this person.
III. Who should I respect?
A nice, simple answer to this would ideally be EVERYONE. But obviously, this is not true - there are certain people in this world who you know deserve no respect. But here's something I like to think about: unless the person has done something tangible to lead me to not respect them, then I always begin by showing respect. That being said, there are obviously some people you SHOULD show respect to, even if you do not actually respect them. An example of a person like this could be a schoolteacher. It is apparent to you that the teacher is a moron, hates children, and is only in it for the money. But being rude to the teacher could result in punishment. Why not make the most of it and not be an asshole, and just show respect?
I believe that you should also always respect members of your family, who have more life experience than you. Yes, this can include younger siblings; if your brother fought in the army and you didn't, don't you feel that deserves some respect? It has nothing to do with age. I think showing respect to family members is very important, because in the end, if EVERYONE ELSE abandoned you, by showing respect to your family, they could be your rock in the hardest of times. Obviously, there are some dickhead family members that are an exception, but a general rule of thumb: HATRED does not deserve lack of respect. If your parents grounded you, or forbade you from playing Xbox 360, that's not a reason to disrespect them. Use your judgement, and don't be greedy.
There are many ways to make someone lose respect for you, and many reasons to lose respect for someone. I feel like this is definitely something that requires some common sense. But always start out with a clean slate, regardless of race, religion, color, gender, intelligence, personal beliefs, etc. Again, use your judgement. Yes, if the person says they want to blow up all the Jews; fine, you don't have to respect them. Use common sense...
IV. How can you show respect?
There are so many ways to show respect that listing them all would be practically impossible. Here are some ways:
1. Always use effective communication skills when talking to someone. This shows that you value the other person's opinions, which is a very important element of respect. You can use google.com to find a much better list, but some basic skills include: eye contact and showing appreciation (such as nodding). Communication in dialogue is very essential to an understanding of respect.
Here is a diagram I found about effective communication:
2. Make sure you understand the perspective the other person has. For example, even if you disagree with the person's actions, an understanding of where they are coming from when they commit these actions may alter your opinion of the person. Don't be biased - not everything that you think is true is.
3. There are many, many other ways of showing respect. These two are probably the most basic, but more will be added every day.
-----------------------------------------
The basic guide on showing respect is officially completed
If you have any suggestions, additions, or comments, please post them - I am going to be updating this guide constantly
Matt's Basic Guide on Respect!!
Let's begin!
I. What is respect?
The meaning of the word respect is trickier than it may seem. We've all heard it a million times; you must show respect, you must be respectful, respect your parents, etc. But understanding what it truly means is crucial to be able to do any of these things.
The meaning of respect changes over time; young children view respect much differently than young adults, and young adults view respect much differently than our parents, etc. However, age is not the only determinant of how respect is perceived. How you show respect should also depend on the situation. A business meeting requires a much different form of respect than a casual date, and that would be much different from the respect you would show your peers. So, what is respect, and was is its connotation?
I feel like an overarching definition of respect can be summed up by a few simple words;willingness to show honor or consideration, independent of the situation itself. I will get into the differences this can mean later on in the guide. This is just a basic, working understanding of the meaning of "respect" used in this guide.
II. Why do you need to be respectful?
In my opinion, there are a few differing opinions on how to go about answering this question. The first is; "we should show respect because it will help us achieve something, or prevent something bad from happening." This is a very concrete, literal interpretation, and this is commonly shown in students when they "kiss-up" to their teachers. It's generally frowned upon, because it is showing fakeness and weakness of character. You generally respect people in this manner because you are forced to, or there will be consequences.
While this definition is fair, a more accurate answer that can apply to more situations is; "we should be respectful to others in order to ultimately earn this respect from others. Think of all the people you "respect", not because of the consequences, but because of certain actions they have done. Are most of these people respectful? Yes. What goes around comes around. If you live your life showing "respect" for people, then more people will ultimately "respect" you right back.
A third potential reason to show respect is because you truly revere and honor the person. You know from previous experiences that the person is respectable and honorable, and you want to basically show respect because of the respect this person deserves. It's not because it will help you with something, and it's not because you want this person's respect in return; it's because you want to show your gratitude towards this person.
III. Who should I respect?
A nice, simple answer to this would ideally be EVERYONE. But obviously, this is not true - there are certain people in this world who you know deserve no respect. But here's something I like to think about: unless the person has done something tangible to lead me to not respect them, then I always begin by showing respect. That being said, there are obviously some people you SHOULD show respect to, even if you do not actually respect them. An example of a person like this could be a schoolteacher. It is apparent to you that the teacher is a moron, hates children, and is only in it for the money. But being rude to the teacher could result in punishment. Why not make the most of it and not be an asshole, and just show respect?
I believe that you should also always respect members of your family, who have more life experience than you. Yes, this can include younger siblings; if your brother fought in the army and you didn't, don't you feel that deserves some respect? It has nothing to do with age. I think showing respect to family members is very important, because in the end, if EVERYONE ELSE abandoned you, by showing respect to your family, they could be your rock in the hardest of times. Obviously, there are some dickhead family members that are an exception, but a general rule of thumb: HATRED does not deserve lack of respect. If your parents grounded you, or forbade you from playing Xbox 360, that's not a reason to disrespect them. Use your judgement, and don't be greedy.
There are many ways to make someone lose respect for you, and many reasons to lose respect for someone. I feel like this is definitely something that requires some common sense. But always start out with a clean slate, regardless of race, religion, color, gender, intelligence, personal beliefs, etc. Again, use your judgement. Yes, if the person says they want to blow up all the Jews; fine, you don't have to respect them. Use common sense...
IV. How can you show respect?
There are so many ways to show respect that listing them all would be practically impossible. Here are some ways:
1. Always use effective communication skills when talking to someone. This shows that you value the other person's opinions, which is a very important element of respect. You can use google.com to find a much better list, but some basic skills include: eye contact and showing appreciation (such as nodding). Communication in dialogue is very essential to an understanding of respect.
Here is a diagram I found about effective communication:
2. Make sure you understand the perspective the other person has. For example, even if you disagree with the person's actions, an understanding of where they are coming from when they commit these actions may alter your opinion of the person. Don't be biased - not everything that you think is true is.
3. There are many, many other ways of showing respect. These two are probably the most basic, but more will be added every day.
-----------------------------------------
The basic guide on showing respect is officially completed
If you have any suggestions, additions, or comments, please post them - I am going to be updating this guide constantly 
And yeah, I mean - it's only text, but it's basically what I was asked to do so...the fact that you made it through half isn't even all that bad ^^
