Why is respect important

Respect is hard to define and the exact meaning of the term may change depending on the particular situation in question. However, it can be stated that it is a feeling which is accompanied by certain codes of conduct towards the person who is respected. Respect is very important in life, especially a social life. In order to teach children the concept of respect successfully, they must at first be taught to respect their parents and their elders. Later on, as the child grows up, he/she will learn to respect everyone worth respecting with proper guidance from his/her parents and teachers. How a child will react towards the others in the society on growing up is largely dependent on how well the parents and the teachers were able to teach the concept of respect along with other virtues like love, tolerance, etc.

Respect generates a feeling of value within the mind of the person on the receiving end of that respect. What this means is that the respected person understands that you value that person. Relationships of various types are forged with the help of mutual respect and these relations often shatter when one or the other loses that respect for the other person. Your first lessons in respect may begin with your parents and your teachers, but as time moves on, one learns that respect of varying degrees and kind are absolutely necessary to have any kind of social relationship with another human being. Lack of respect for the fellow beings can result into moral degeneration or vice versa. Teenagers often become disrespectful towards their parents, teachers and almost everyone at times, but it is usually due to hormonal changes that occur at this time and once the adolescent stage passes, so does the disrespectful behaviors. If however, it is persistent and overwhelming, there might be more to it than just raging hormones.

Although respect is usually a topic that centers around teenagers these days, it is a much larger concept than that. One must be respectful towards a lot more than just people. Good manners are a perfect way to implement respect in a more visible way in the human society, but a proper human being must also be respectful towards nature as well. Having respect for the environment around you will help you to understand and deal with all that may come towards you. Similarly, having respect for the people around you and hearing out what they have to say about different things will also help you understand better and act in a more effective way. Most importantly, a person who respects others is also respected by others and that in turn builds self-respect and confidence.