How do we show respect?
There are lots of ways of showing respect. While having respect for someone can be a feeling, we show respect through our actions and behaviours. Here are a range of examples:
- Asking to use someone else's stuff
- The way we speak to people using tone, words and body language
- Accepting others rights, needs and differences as okay and legitimate
- Giving others their own personal space and allowing for the level of personal space to change depending on situations and relationships
- Allowing others privacy
- Ensuring others can protect their modesty
- Following or living within the boundaries that have been set
- Maintaining others secrets that they have shared
- Attentive listening when other are speaking
- Responding to the concerns of others
- Avoiding gossiping or putting others down
- Showing interest in others about how they feel and what they think
- Ensuring everyone is included rather than excluded
- Keep agreements with others or living as your word
- Being sensitive to thoughts and feelings of others
- Working constructively to resolve problems and differences
- Listening to and accepting feedback
- Making changes to our behaviour if we fail to respect others
- Looking after others property
- Keeping the environment clean for everyone to enjoy
- Respecting yourself
If you hold a discussion, people will come up with many more ideas of behaviours that show respect. You will also find that cultural differences will effect what is considered respect. For example looking someone in the eye is considered showing respect in some cultures but disrespectful in others.
I think the last example of respecting yourself is very interesting and deserves more discussion. But I will leave the discussion on self-respect to another post.
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