|
Respect is a strange beast...
I tend to respect older people because, as a whole, they have more life experience than I do. Although as Maggie said, there are elderly idiots and boy geniuses. We can read about anything, but to actually live through it and offer your own perspective of it is another story.
Unfortunately, there are some older folks out there that don't seem to give much respect to the younguns. And by the same token, there are young people out there that don't seem to have much respect for elders.
It's hard to say just what makes one bestow respect upon another, and I think it varies from person to person. For myself, I think it involves a combination of honesty, courtesy, knowledge, integrity, and character. In order to respect somebody, you have to know a bit about who they are. Above all, it has to be earned.
I liked kb's distinction between courtesy and respect. I would say that lots of people (including myself) misuse the word "respect." I don't respect many folks on the Cellar. Not because I hate them, but because I don't really know them. Of course, if they stay around a while, and I get to know them better, then the opportunity for respect arises.
|