Respect is important for all of us, and we all desire it, but it is not that easy to attain. To gain respect, you must respect others, whether they are humans, other living beings, or even objects.
However, it is not easy to respect everything around us. This difficulty mainly arises due to two reasons: a lack of awareness and a lack of consciousness.
First, many of us do not fully understand what respect truly means. We behave in ways we learned while growing up, often without questioning or reflecting on them even though these are things we must learn.
So, what is respect?
Respect can be defined in multiple ways:
- It means treating everyone equally, regardless of caste, gender, creed, or religion.
- It involves showing care toward all living beings and even the objects around us.
- It is a genuine admiration for someone or something that possesses good ideas, values, or qualities.
How do we show respect correctly?
Respect can be expressed through active listening, good behavior, appreciation, admiration, and care toward someone or something.
When we listen attentively, treat people kindly, and show genuine love, care, and admiration, we are demonstrating respect.
But here is the problem:
We are often taught to respect people, especially elders but not younger individuals. You may have noticed that elders often expect respect from the younger generation but do not always offer the same in return, even though respect should be mutual.
Similarly, we do not always show care toward objects. We disrespect them by touching them with our feet or by not maintaining them properly, even though everything around us deserves care and mindfulness.
We also tend to mistreat animals. Many times, animals are used when needed and discarded when they are no longer useful. Birds are kept in captivity for our entertainment, forced to suffer inside cages, which reflects a lack of true respect for them.
If we genuinely care about someone or something, we naturally develop sincere feelings toward them, and respect follows.
The second challenge
Even when we understand that we should treat others with respect, we still make mistakes and end up being disrespectful.
Why does this happen?
Because we lack consciousness in our actions. True respect requires awareness in real time, and this awareness must be practiced repeatedly until it becomes deeply ingrained in our subconscious mind.
So, what is the solution?
1. Understand respect deeply
Know what respect truly means and treat everyone and everything with sincerity and genuine feelings. This practice must begin with self-respect; once you respect yourself, respecting others becomes natural.
2. Practice it daily
Respect must be practiced every day until it becomes an integral part of your behavior and personality.
