Occasional Sunday Articles. Article No. SPS012. Respect Is Insignificant, But Disrespect Is Unaccept

Respect is not as important as many of us may think. That is is because, respect is, in strict terms, just a mere subjective expression of appreciation or acknowledgement of what we think are good things one has done to us as individuals, group of individuals, or society at large. Respect is not therefore acquired automatically, or demanded, but rather it is earned. Notwithstanding, however, what actions deserve appreciation or acknowledgement, hence respect to those behind them, often vary among individuals, communities, countries, and even continents. So when a member of a criminal gang commits a criminal act in the spirit of the gang principles, other gang members may appreciate the action and increase their respect for the offender. At the same time, other members of society may condemn the criminal act, and take back any respect they had for the offender. Also, when some children refrain from appreciating or acknowledging their parents' contribution in taking good care of them, the parents may in turn perceive the action of their children as disrespect, complain bitterly, and demand respect! At this juncture, it is clear that respect is, indeed, subjective, and as such it may have lesser significance than many of us believe. Accordingly, it is imperative that we do not get too preoccupied or concerned about it. In other words, we should not be too worried about whether we are respected or not. Particularly, denial of respect for the good things we do or have done for others, and society at large, should not deter us from continuing doing such good things. After all, the good things that we do for others may not be from us, but from God through us. We should not therefore demand respect for good things we do for others, and neither should we boast about them nor prosecute those who do not give us respect for them. Often, those who do not demand respect or boast about good things they have done, get lots of respect, at least in the long run. While people's refusal to appreciate or acknowledge good things one has done, hence denial of respect, may be out the above mentioned subjectivity nature of the concept of respect, it may, however, also be a result of hate and prejudice, hence influenced by Satan. Whether subjective or from Satan, people's refusal to give respect to others within the above context should not be expressed in manners that are verbally, physically, or in writing abusive. Otherwise, denial of respect becomes disrespect hence unacceptable, and may be legally punishable. When not expressed in verbally or physically abusive manners, denial of respect for a person who has done good things for others or society or society at large, may not necessarily imply disrespect of that person as a human being. There is a transitional zone between respect and disrespect, that is influenced by whether and how denial of respect is expressed verbally, physically, or in writing. Denial of respect non-abusively or in silence could be argued to be part of individual freedom. (Last update: March 9, 2020)

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