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Respect?

B

BruceCM

Well-Known Member
OK. Does anybody want to try explaining what respect means, please? I don't need a dictionary definition, as I can find those for myself, thanks.
 
I would say respect is the opposite of looking down on a person. It has different meanings in different contexts.

1) Status - as in experience in life or an area of study.
I respect my parents because they have been around for longer than me and have more wisdom gained from life experiences.
I respect my research advisor because (among other things) he's been a scientist for a long time, and again knows more about biology than me.
So I respect people with more status than I have by treating them as superiors, and if they instruct or advise me I will generally do what they say.

2) Peer interactions.
I respect a peer's views by listening to them and not saying how stupid they are for holding that view. So even if I disagree with them, I can still understand that according to them, their views make sense.
I respect a peer in general by treating them like they are a worthwhile person.
So I respect my peers by treating them as equals, and if they give me advice I will consider it seriously. But unlike with people with more status than me, respecting my peers does not mean that I have to do what they instruct me to do.

I can show disrespect for people by saying they are stupid and therefore below me. This is most often considered a problem if I treat other people with more status than I have condescendingly, but it can probably occur with peers too. Of course, sometimes people may not "deserve" respect, but even in that case you are still supposed to treat them well because disrespect is mean.

If this doesn't make sense, tell me why and I'll try to rephrase it. You've forced me to think hard about a topic I don't normally think about, and the result is likely to be a little scattered just because of that.
 
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I don't think I forced you to do anything! Primarily, I'm talking about with peers. If you'd like to say more about that, please do.
 
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