I have
sometimes noticed in Slovakia, as this Nigerian columnist does, that respect is
often given according to perceived status or wealth. Would you agree? What have been your experiences of giving and
receiving (or withholding and not receiving) respect? To what extent and in what circumstances
should respect be earned rather than freely received? What do you think about what this writer says
about treating criminals? Do
declarations of human rights by bodies like the UN help? Or do official words simply enable us to
pretend that we are actually doing something concrete about this issue?
Friday, March 22, 2024
What does it mean to you, Aretha? How about you, Azuka?
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I found this article quite interesting. Never before have I read such a provoking and controversial text regarding the topic of sayings. However, I see one flaw in Mr. Azuka’s claim. He starts by challenging the saying that respect is earned rather than given and talking about what respecting someone means. But then he continues by giving examples of treating people with (dis)respect. Even though these two have the word respect in common I view them as different phenomena. From my point of view, respecting someone means holding someone in high regard. This can be due to the person’s character, accomplishments or service to others. I would feel honored if someone I highly value told me that he/she respects me.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I feel like treating someone with respect means recognizing that the person is a human being just like myself and treating him/her as such. Take the examples in the little story in the article and also in the Declaration of Human Rights. Since we are all people of the planet Earth, we should treat each other equally and not act condescendingly or in a superior manner to one another. While I agree with this statement, I think that it has little to do with my perception of respect which I described above. The fact that somebody is polite to others does not have to mean that he respects them. But I would say that it does work the other way around. People tend to treat people they respect with great level of politeness and courtesy. For me, respecting someone is a sort of admiration due to his/her qualities while treating with respect should be a standard way of behavior towards others.
In conclusion, I think that Mr. Azuka introduced an interesting topic which can lead to heavy debate but I consider his initial paragraph a bit too harsh. Claiming that a saying is completely false and people believe it only because some celebrity said so might seem like a good, thought-provoking introduction but that does not hold if the argument is not well prepared. In my opinion, it is necessary to look at all perspectives before arriving to such a conclusion. I find two counterexamples, the story about the receptionist and teacher, insufficient.
- Oliver K.
I appreciated the differentiation of respect and politeness, as I too view them, as Oliver said, as two separate phenomena. I did quite like the point the original author made, in that the insistence on earning respect can be a way for people to rationalize rudeness or discrimination. We see this in the supportive examples given by the author and also in our everyday lives. This is, from my perspective, fundamentally wrong, as human dignity should be extended to all individuals regardless of social status.
ReplyDeleteThere is one aspect in which I am a bit perplexed, and that is if our actions influence the respect we receive and if that should be the case. I don’t think Oliver particularly delved into this aspect, however, I think the relationship between actions and respect is very complex. On one hand, it's natural for individuals to earn respect through their actions, such as by demonstrating kindness, competence, and other positive personal characteristics. These qualities often influence the level of admiration and esteem we receive from others. Nevertheless, there is also the fundamental argument that every human being deserves a level of respect simply because they are human, regardless of their actions. That is why I believe there is a baseline level of respect everyone should have, however, the overall respect and admiration we receive from others is determined by our actions.
-Elias