Respect Earned and Deserved

Society, and those of us who live in it, has this way of giving respect to those who are very vocal, those who stand up in the public eye and demand it, those who seem to command respect simply by virtue of their position in life. This leads me to pose a question; has respect become something that is entirely about show? Unfortunately, many times, this does seem to be the case.

Many people I know who are endowed with quiet strength, who tend to live in the background yet play a vital and often unnoticed role in the lives of the people around them don't seem to command the same level of respect that their peers do.

Just because these people don't stand up and say, "Hey, look at me! I did this, I am so-and-so and I deserve respect!" or because no one else says it for them doesn't mean that they should get less. Indeed, I could argue that there are many 'ordinary' people I know in the background who have a lot of strength and character and deserve more respect than some of their peers who are better known, in leadership positions and who tend to have a large social presence.

This is the point where I feel I must clarify myself. Not all the respect given to the leaders among us is undeserved. In fact, most of it is not. However, instead of freely giving respect to those that society tells us deserve it, I'd like to see a day when it is given to people who deserve it by virtue of having earned it.

A Difference in Opinion

More than just enabling us to formulate and express our own opinions, I'd like to think that the education that we receive helps us to recognise and respect the fact that others have opinions too, and that these opinions do not necessarily have to align with our own.

Last night, I posted a picture on a social media site that emphasised the importance of loving your neighbour as you love yourself, regardless of the neighbour's race, class, religion or sexuality. I know that this is not a point of view that is shared by everyone, but I figured that those who did not agree would either refrain from commenting, or would express their opinion in a way that led to discussion as opposed to argument.

Unfortunately, I was wrong. I was surprised by the vehemence with which someone told me that my opinion was wrong, and that what a certain group of people did was essentially absolutely immoral. I did try to discuss the comment with this individual, but to no avail. To avoid offending others who may see the picture, I went ahead and deleted the comment, but the surprise still remained.

I know of many others who have experienced similar backlash after expressing their opinions on a variety of topics, and the thing that stands out to me is that most of the backlash comes from the 'older' generation; those who have taught us and guided us and encouraged us to have opinions.

I don't think the world will ever be at a place where everyone agrees with everyone else, and I frankly think that such a world would bore me! I enjoy the talking to intellectuals who have different points of view from myself, and who are able to challenge me to think beyond my own sphere of existence. However, I would like to believe that one day we may reach a point where we are all free to express our opinions, and be respected for them.

Have a great day!

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