Hyde In Plain Sight
Hyde In Plain Sight Podcast
The Respect of Others
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The Respect of Others

It cannot be demanded but it can be inspired by our own self respect
people standing near trees during day
Photo by David Clode on Unsplash

It’s human nature to love being admired and respected.

At the same time, one of life’s hardest truths is that no one owes us anything.

As much as we may enjoy or even crave acceptance, we have no claim whatsoever by which others must like us, love us or treat us with dignity.

Truth be told, demanding that others treat us with dignity, admiration or respect is a losing proposition.

However, these qualities are commanded by those who choose to live their lives with self respect.

And acquiring self respect comes down to our willingness to live a life of personal excellence.

Civility can be described as how we treat others but our sense of personal dignity always comes down to whether or not we respect ourselves.

When we respect ourselves, the natural consequence is that we will inspire respect in the people around us.

Robert Ringer puts it like this:

Demanding dignity from others is the ultimate self-delusion. If being treated with dignity is genuinely important to you, the most efficient way to bring that about is to act in dignified ways.”

When we see someone who is rising above whatever society may be doing at the moment, it’s nearly impossible not to admire and respect them for doing so.

That’s the difference between demanding and commanding the admiration and respect of others.

Respect is something that must be inspired not required.

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Hyde In Plain Sight
Hyde In Plain Sight Podcast
Truths, principles and practices that bring purpose and peace.
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Bryan Hyde