Respect

Essay on respect   (also translated in Dutch: https://ziel4u.blogspot.com/2019/08/respect.html)

We can learn the essence of respect if we study the origin or etymology of it. The word respect comes from Latin and it means literally looking back. Even though the person is behind or below you in many ways, do not ignore her or him. Take the time to look back, to observe who and what is below you.

Respect is often used as an alternative word for admiration. Admiration is more of looking forward and looking upwards, rather than looking back. We can say we respect our leaders, our parents, our teachers. I think here is where respect is quite often a bit misunderstood.

If your parent, your teacher, your leader put themselves below you to lift you up, please do not step on their heads. When they put themselves behind you to help you and push you a bit forward, please do look back, ‘respect' and be grateful for how much love our Creator has planted in their heart. 

“Respect” out of fear, is not true respect. Respect that is demanded or expected is most often not true respect, but rather submission. “Respect” for an arrogant queen is not really respect. Respect comes from the heart and is given to someone who has truly earned our respect. 

As a child we admire our parents, we look up to them, we trust them, we love them. We grow up and we become more vigorous, more alert, more active and more adroit than our parents. If then, we look back at them with a grateful heart, filled with true love and appreciation; that is true respect.

If we look back at the garbage collector and appreciate simply the work he does very much, love him for it with a grateful heart, that too is true respect.

In conclusion, respect is the choice to look back at someone with a sense of awe, a sense of love and gratefulness. Even if you still prefer to use the word respect for the ones you truly look up to, the key is that you ‘respect' out of your free will. True respect cannot be imposed. Kings and Tsars claim to demand respect but in truth demand only submission (not rarely through endless useless protocols).