Mandatory respect is ridiculous.

[Mitera Nikkou]

It's my belief that giving someone respect is, in essence, empowering the one respected. So it shouldn't be something to hand out so carelessly. A person, on their own, can achieve plenty, but a person backed by other people can do so much more. That's why I don't give much of anyone much (if any) respect. I am considerate, which can be confused for respect, but it's not the same thing. If I were to support you it would only be because I found enough circumstantial evidence to, not (solely) because I respect your character.

I began to think about this when I began to think about nationalism/patriotism, and how people get into a fervor for someone who is only projecting a message, a person whom they know next to nothing about personally. I think it's more sensible to save the respect for the time that said messages are actually realized, or if there had been a real effort to make the messages a reality. It makes no sense, to me, to give someone respect for something they haven't done yet.

[Haylie]

I must agree with the Admin here. It's one of the reasons I don't much enjoy politicians.

And no, I'm not brown-nosing.

[Mitera Nikkou]

Respect me, peon!

Sorry, I couldn't resist. XD

[Sophia Anieri]

It would make more sense if there were some standard for what's considered a normal level of respect. But the standard seems to be, "If I don't like it, it's disrespectful to me." At least, for the people who go on and on about respect.

[Mitera Nikkou]

People who go on and on about respect more than likely use it as a means to an end. In other words, they disrespect respect.

I enjoy these kind of answers.

[Helel]

In regards to teams, being respectful to really anyone is important, from my experience. Empowering? Of course, but on a good team, everyone is being respectful, so everyone is empowered in the end, despite being equals. Everything runs well if not better than without the respect, la de da. :O

This still works, even if there's a designated 'leader' or leaders in the team, because the leaders still treat their teammates as equals, if not moreso- serving them as leaders, rather than forcing leadership onto them.

How this applies generally of course is up to debate- but for those cases when a corporation, a government or agency, or the like uses this practice of everyone giving everyone respect, they become unique, effective, and heck, awesome.

[Mitera Nikkou]

Define unique, effective and awesome. From my own observations, mandatory respect doesn't do much good, by and large. Just look at the employer-employee system, for example. How many employees are happy about giving respect to employers that they don't think deserve it? Now think about the potential consequences of anger and stress (among other things) due to employees that have to put up with their employers to keep their jobs. It's like bribery on a daily basis.

I think, in most cases (or, at least, concerning the more significant aspects of social life and such), mandatory respect isn't any good. The people who have the ambition for places of power, in whatever form that power may take, are more likely to be defined by words with the prefix "self" than otherwise. Mandatory respect (as well as blind loyalty and like-minded people) give those sort of people the kind of support that (in my opinion) they shouldn't have.

To me, mandatory respect is a sort of hive-minded mentality, and I just don't like that sort of thing. That's why I'll never have anything to do with the military. Sure, united we stand, and divided we fall; yada, yada, yada. It's not being united that's important, but the reason behind it. The world is the way it is because of the combined efforts of many groups of people who're (for the most part) out for their own, personal interests; and, while my view is as relative as anyone else's, I think the general result of said efforts has made our world a shit hole.

Eh... It's just one of those topics that bother me. Maybe I just have a dissocial personality disorder or something. Oh, well.

[Sophia Anieri]

It's fairly clear that "respect" means something completely different to each of you. That's kinda what I was getting at. In any case, respect can't be demanded, only freely given -- which is what I think Helel is saying. You can't force it, but it can work for you if you get a reputation as being respectful.

[Mitera Nikkou]

It's sad that so many popular ideas are dumb. To me it's like having to deal with group punishment. I have to suffer because of what others do. Humanity should be glad that I'm not retarded and spiteful.

[Helel]

It's fairly clear that "respect" means something completely different to each of you. That's kinda what I was getting at. In any case, respect can't be demanded, only freely given -- which is what I think Helel is saying. You can't force it, but it can work for you if you get a reputation as being respectful.

You have it right on. I'm of the opinion (and from experience) that respect can ONLY be earned, and even then it can't be demanded. It's a joint relationship, coming from working together, spending time together, and having fun together. I know for a fact that between me and my boss (and even her supervisor and the supervisor above him), we have a LOT of respect and get along extremely well.

And really, from my experience, why the hell would an employer pick you if they could figure out you and them wouldn't get along well? Unless they're stupid, of course. But then, with my field and experience, I've been lucky enough to work with predominantly very mature and intelligent people. So maybe my experience is odd in and of itself, but my ideas of respect are the same regardless. Mainly due to my upraising, the things I've done in scouting, my time here at Georgia Tech, and so forth.

[Mitera Nikkou]

*Sigh*

You're still missing the point, somewhat. You're both talking about having the freedom to give respect when you want to, which isn't the topic. All I've got from one of you (Helel), is that you were lucky to end up with people who did deserve respect. People like me, I've encountered a lot of people that I didn't want to respect, but had to, or else I'd get into trouble and make things worse for myself and them look like the victim and me the bad guy. Like, say... teachers, other students, bad cops, mental hospital staff, parents, yada, yada, yada. I'd probably be able to say more if not for the fact that I've secluded myself away from people for the past decade and thus don't have any social experience with work places and such. Although, from people that I know, and some of the things that I watch and read in various media, it's no different out there than anywhere else I've been.