How To Gain Respect

Every human being desires to be respected. However, those desirous of gaining respect should know how to earn it. Even a small child wants to be respected nowadays. However, the most important thing that a person desirous of being respected needs to know is how to gain respect. As far as definition of respect is concerned, it is the admiration that one earns either because of one’s status or because he or she has done something exceptional to deserve it.

Respect is of two types, one that comes with his or her social standing and the other that is earned. The respect that comes with a person’s social standing is also known as ‘Normative’ respect. A person may command respect just because he or she is a big business tycoon and owns a lot of capital that is perhaps sufficient to buy the whole world.

Or one may deserve respect because one comes from a very well placed family or a family that is very well known in the society either because of their association with an important cause or because of something that left a lasting impact on the society. A majority of people fall in the category of those, who command respect just because they belong to such families. This is also true of those who have some sort of connection with some of the most well renowned royal families of the world.

As in the case of Norma (name changed), whose husband is a big businessman. She is respected in the society mainly because of the social standing of her husband. A lot of attention is paid to Norma during parties and social gatherings not because she has done something to merit it, but because her husband is a tycoon, who sponsors several important organizations. Same is the case with her children, who are highly regarded all because of their rich father.

Jordan is respected in the society because he comes from a family of reputed educationists. His kin have contributed significantly towards the proliferation of education in the country and have also been conferred several awards. Same is the case with Elena, whose father is a well known personality in the world of music, dance and theatre. The girl, who is a surgeon, is regarded more because she is the daughter of a world famous thespian artist and less because of her own achievements, which are only a few.

This is another classic example of normative respect. The world is full of people who are respected just because they are associated with families that have made a difference in the society at some point of time. As far as earned respect is concerned, it mainly deals with one’s character, hard work and innovativeness. History is full of examples of people, who have earned respect because of their hard work and innovativeness.

For instance, Alexander Graham Bell is known because he invented the telephone, which revolutionized the way in which people interact with each other. People like Mahatma Gandhi and George Washington too are classic examples of people, who earned respect. In modern times, people regard personalities as Bill Gates, the man who revolutionized the world of computers and everything associated with them. Then there is the case of the incumbent US President Barak Obama, who earned respect of the entire world when he became the first black president of the United States.

If one wants to know gain respect, he or she should start with respecting himself. In short, self respect is the first step towards gaining respect. Next is the ability to give respect to others who deserve it. It may be a boss, a colleague, an elder or even a junior, who has done something exceptional to command your respect. Be sure to respect them if they deserve it.

Always strive for excellence. A job well done ensures respect like nothing else does. The next key is to ensure that you honour your commitments. If you have promised to help someone out or accomplish a job for someone, be sure to do it just as you have promised. Chickening out at the last moment will only bring you bad name. However, apart from just hard work and ability to fulfil commitments, one should also pay due regard to good values.

Possessing high moral character can be an added advantage if one is actually concerned about how to gain respect in life. A person with a good moral character is often trusted more than anyone else in the team and has the chance of being honoured and respected even more than others. Being assertive, but polite is another important factor that can help a person attain respect that he so desires.

Mind you, being assertive, not aggressive, helps a person gain more admiration as it helps him get a job done in an effective and efficient manner. In short, there are several ways in which respect can be solicited, but one should always realize that in any case it is better to earn it on the basis of one’s own merit. Deserve the respect you need and no one can take respect from you ever.

Article by Mukesh

Picture By fardazza