I was laying down in my bed a couple nights ago, and I got to wondering: "What, exactly, is respect?" Well, according to Dictionary.com, the definition of "respect" is:
1. To feel or show deferential regard for; esteem.
2. To avoid violation of or interference with: respect the speed limit.
3. To relate or refer to; concern.
My personal definition of respect would be something like "to take account other peoples views, ideals, interests and personalities and give them the courtesy they deserve." To me, respect does not inquire that you admire or idolize a person in any way--although, that might be the definition some people. Instead, you just give them the courtesy they give you and you hold nothing against them for their political views or other things based on opinion.
However, certain things people do also effect my respect for them: if someone is a smarmy little brat with no regard for anyone but themselves, then yes, chances are I most likely don't respect them that much. I respect most of the people on the board, and I like to think that I have a certain degree of respect around here. I haven't done anything too offensive in the three some-odd years I've been here, I don't think; I believe I've been courteous to the people who have been courteous to me, and I try to treat them politely. But, this topic isn't about me, and I digress. To simplify, what I'm trying to say is:
What is your definition of respect? What kind of qualities do you respect in a person? What about disrespect? C'mon, tell. Give in to the peer pressure.
NOTE: I hope this made sense and that I didn't ramble on too much. If I did, sorry. <3
What kind of qualities do you respect in a person?
Tact.
What about disrespect?
Intolerance.
Short enough of a response for you? :3
I respect those that deserve it. I disrespect... well pretty much everyone else. :3
What Rico said.
That's a really good question. This topic is going to launch me into a short, but sad story, so brace yourself.
Me and my dad (I know you guys get sick of hearing about him) used to be best buddies, and used to go everywhere. Well at around age 11 I realized both of my parents had drinking problems.
I went through a summer fighting, abandonment, and near-divorce at age 12. Then my mom had her accident on December 4, 2003 at 11:30-ish.
So she is no longer an alcoholic and has been completely sober since that devastating night.
Anyway, after my mom got out of the hospital, I found out that during the summer of 2003, my dad cheated on my mom numerous times and I was absolutely furious with him. Not only because he cheated on my mom, but he left me there to take care of her and pick her up off the floor when she was too tipsy to walk. And he aso lied to me and told me that he would never cheat on my mom, which he told me the same summer that he cheated on my mom.
Ever since then me and him have never been on good terms and fight almost every night. Everybody tells me to respect him, but I don't know how anymore. I don't even know what respect is, and I don't know if I can ever truly respect him again. But if any of you find out how, let me know please, because I want to respect him, and I want to forgive him, but I can't right now.
What really is respect in todays culture, anyway? I mean the world isn't really wholesome anymore. Not to mention the fact of it never really was in the first place. In today's world, I'd have to say Respect is the diligence to honor ones beliefs, views, policies, and being. But for me, giving and getting respect come in hand and hand. I will not Respect someone who disrespects me, my views, policies, or beliefs. I find in my mind that to get respect from I- you have to deserve it.
Some people though still live by the whole, "if their older than you- you should respect them and never question them" view.
I think honestly that the view is stupid and Respect isn't a default set of right. I believe Respect is earned from how you treat someone else- wether you are child, teen, adult, or elder.
I'd figure respect depends on how a person likes a certain something that they...well, respect. I give my respect to something I think deserves it. It might not mean the same to another person, but to me it does. To those that doesn't deserve my respect, I give disrespect.
~Neo
Agreed, Mike; if my parents were assholes who were never good to me, then hell no I wouldn't respect them. "Honor thy mother and thy father?" Only if they treat me halfway decently.
Wow, a lot of the people in this thread are disrespectful little wanks 
I said if my parents WERE assholes. They're not.
Heh, my mom is a terrible parent. Her description of respect is: Everyone must treat me with respect but I can treat everyone else like s***.
As for my description, I guess it's whoever treats me decently gets my respect.
Unfortunatedly in a lot of cases wonderbat's assumption is wrong. A lot a adults seem to have the exact ideal that steebay described. My aunt does it to my cousin. My friend does it to his daughters, just like his father did to him.
Most people don't have the willpower to not assume their parents were perfect. They lack the ability to break free of their parents and their ways.
You have to put up with parents though, good or bad, until you can make it on your own. I was mainly raised by my aunt. A real conservative "Do as I say not as I do. I can treat you like I want but you have to kiss my ass." type. My mother was just the opposite. Stubborn free spirit. I got a LOT of it. I followed her lead, not the lead of the aunt that raised me.
Just some of my thoughts on respect, and apologies for the somewhat dis-jointed nature of them
It's something that should be earned, but also strangers should be treated with it. Something seems a little strange in this...
Respect should be 2-way. If they don't respect you, why should you respect them?
If I respect someone, then I treat them almost as I would want to be treated. If not, then I will generally try to be polite, but otherwise generally less informative and supportive.
Also, Rico, I agree that parents do tend to not provide good examples for their children - in spite of a "do as I say, not what I do" claim, actions speak much louder than words. However, there are also some people I know who should respect their parents a lot more - obviously I don't know where the lack of respect stems from, but the parents are quite often far better behaved than the child...
This is a thread that I think chavs should see. It will give them an idea of what respect is and the forms it takes. 
I would respect someone who doesn't pretend to be something/someone they are not. Accepting who you are and what you are truly like is difficult, in my experience, as peer pressure can be a trying thing.
I greatly disrespect people who either show me no respect or command respect and yet do things that would make people disrespect them.
At the end of the day, we can only get the respect we want if we treat others the same way. Treat others how you would like to be treated, but then again, there are some arrogant people who think that respect is due to them but they don't have to show respect to anyone else. People like that really annoy me.
Respect is due to me. o.o
Complete tangent, but it fits the topic:
Was discussing this with a few people lately, I know KLee was the first. SilverShadow was probably the second.
See, we're living in a society where the younger generations lack respect. The reason is a little bit more than "MTV Gangsta culture is teaching them it's cool to be a fool", though that greatly contributes.
The main reason is that the law is totally messed up these days. Children are unduly protected to the extent that they really cannot even be punished without the parent's concent and if the parent refuses to dicipline their child, you have someone who cannot be touched by police or teacher. Hell, they're AFRAID of them. I've seen a 12 year old punk screaming out an officer, saying he couldn't touch him, which is true to an extent. So the officer is more afraid of this little 12 year old snot than a Drunk & Disorderly who's been taking Elton John's advice a little too literally.
Teachers are worse. Never have I seen a proffession where someone can be scared out of their position within 2 lessons. I was part of a class which made the poor guy walk out and never come back, in his second lesson.
Really, it all lays down to this, modern society requires both parents to work, no one has time to raise their kids anymore, and because of that they don't get the hard love affection that they need and they learn to live without consequence.
Sure, gangster culture isn't helping matters much, but it's not like there weren't rebellious rock bands in the 80's, I sure as heck didn't sway to them. It's all in the parents and how they raise their kids and these days parents expect schools to raise their children because they need to get the money to keep afloat, there's no real cure to this either, besides giving teachers permission to punish children with more than a 3 day vacation or "suspension", and I doubt any employer actually CARES about this, I've never had problems getting employed and I have 4 suspensions and an expullsion on my name.
Really, it's Catch 22, and the world will get worse before it gets better. I just wish someone would shut those clowns who make GTA and rap music up, they're not helping.
Dare we even think that charter schools and private school vouchers might be a good thing? Get the kids (who have parents that care enough to select which school their child attends) into a system not married to the government bureacracy?
Jimro
Yes, even though its funny to play it. When I think about people idolizing characters from stuff like Max Payne, GTA, and the other games. You don't know. I mean, games and music alone do no harm to a sentient being capable of individual thought. But that definition can't be applied to most of the people in the world.
Dress codes in schools teach kids to be part of a unit. Alone they are nothing they have to follow the unit. Same with jobs, armed forces, indian tribes, and almost everyother section of society teach people they are not an individual. They are part of something bigger and their ideas are meaningless.
So when the "something bigger", be it violent video games, rap music, mtv, violent tv shows, corrupt news channels, etc... people 5 to 105 follow it. The people that push against it are usually better for it.
Oh, and what Craig about teachers. I pity them so much its unreal.
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Oh, and what Craig about teachers. I pity them so much its unreal
Same here.
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Dare we even think that charter schools and private school vouchers might be a good thing?
I don't think anyone has a problem with them (other than government funding them in terms of private ones). I just wish that they couldn't kick the students out for misbehavior/grade problems that public schools must accept.
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Same with jobs, armed forces, indian tribes, and almost everyother section of society teach people they are not an individual. They are part of something bigger and their ideas are meaningless.
I completely disagree with that assessment, it plays to the stereotype that all soldiers/workers are mindless robots "oppressed by a fascist authority". My experiences with indian tribes, rather limited when you consider the vast number of tribes, also supports the value of individual development.
Individual thoughts and contributions are the reason why people can come together and be part of "something bigger. In my job I have been told what to do, but never told what to think or that my thoughts were worthless. The most successful organizations, from IBM to the Marine Corps ENCOURAGE creative problem solving and personal development.
The individual is the building block of any successful organization, and organizations that do not value the individual are not going to be successful.
Jimro
Each of these organisations still provides an outwards image of conformity within the unit, even if they encourage variety within the group. It provides a greater sense of identity for the individuals as part of a group, and as such something to be proud of, and so work for. At least, that would be the theory.
In that sense, the uniforms/dress codes provide something for the individuals to respect in order to show respect and pride in the group they belong to, as well as a means of identifying their membership to everyone else, encouraging them to respect the individual if they respect the group they represent.
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What about disrespect?
Intolerance.
I will not tolerate anyone that won't tolerate everyone!
Mmm...
I have respect for people that act honorable. Not like a war-hero or anything, I mean, the people that DON'T cheat on a test when everyone around them is, for example.
I disrespect spoiled people greatly.
Oh, and,
(music note) R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me! (music note)
What do you mean by intollerance?
I cant STAND a LOT of people, just cant stand to be in the same room as them because it doesnt matter how mant second chances, how much you cover their ears up they insist on making an ass out of themselves, insulting you, lacking any social awareness and just get on your never with every single word that comes out of their ......... mouth....
...
I do try with these people, there are many but they do exist. If you disrespect me for trying to avoid said people then you've just lost my respect for your choice of respectable people. 
