Whenever I think of respect, I think of it as something that has to be earned... but then I started over-thinking it and wondering if it was something that actually had to be earned, or if its something that all people actually deserve because of human rights and stuff.
I think its the human rights answer. I mean... yeah. I think there are certain things you have to respect about everyone. Personal space is a good example. I think this always comes to mind because one time I was on a train and it was packed and I was with my parents and we were already in a cramped seat and then another couple joins us and the woman was very rude while asking to join us... she said "well are you gonna move or what?" To me... and I should have said "Or What" because that was very disrespectful. Not only was she kind of disrespecting my personal space (although she wouldn't have anywhere to sit otherwise) but she was also rude about it... and I didn't deserve that disrespect. I had never even said a word to the woman... I just didn't move right when they came over.
People that are older than you... as long as they haven't done something that makes them a terrible human... also deserve respect. Living is hard. Everyone has a hard life... they have more of it. It kinda bothers me though that there are lots of old people that really hate younger people... millennials specifically. And like I'm not really complaining about anything in particular... but there are so many tv shows where they show millenials as kind of dumb, vapid people obsessed with their phones... or just as hipsters or... you probably know what I mean. The show "The Great Indoors" which I haven't actually seen yet seems to be the latest and greatest offender of this stereotype. And I feel like that stereotype is not really all that true. Idk maybe its just because I am a millennial that I feel more connected to the issue... but the joke is played out... and I feel like I deserve respect too. I've been a good person all my life. I help people, I do nice things... I deserve more respect than the stereotype. I had very little say in when I was actually born... so that's just something to think about before shouting "You weren't alive when XYZ happened." Its like "yeah but I'm kind of into history and kind of remember everything... so I'm kind of well informed on the subject. I'm was as close to being there as I could be until they invent the time machine."
And I think there are different variations of respect. For example, I mentioned that I have a lot of respect for Stephen Colbert as a talk show host because for all of The Colbert Report he was doing a satire of a super right winged person... and he was able to end that show and start hosting The Late Show and there is still a lot of satire... but he's not playing his character... and he's as funny if not even more funny. I respect him in ways I don't with comedians like Dane Cook... cause I think he's just an average comedian with average jokes. I've heard he's really funny live, even in huge venues... but I don't have as much respect for him as I do Stephen Colbert. It's not saying that Dane Cook will never earn the amount of Colbert-level respect... but he's not there yet...
But yeah, everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity because everyone is human... you never know what someone is dealing with or how they came to be the way that they are... so unless you truly can't say anything nice about someone... everyone deserves respect. And if you don't have anything nice to say about someone... you probably shouldn't say anything at all... because we all deserve that type of respect as a human. I mean, if that person is doing something truly terrible and you're afraid they are a threat to society... by all means speak out... but if you just don't like someone for little things... maybe you should just be respectful, don't say anything to that person... but just don't be friends with them anymore. You aren't going to get along with everyone... but everyone deserves to be themselves, to have their opinions and to have their privacy... so sometimes unfriending is a good sign of respect.
Alright my eyes are shutting and that might not have made any sense... but its food for thought.
Byeee!
-Shannon
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