Wednesday, April 7, 2010

This I believe- Respect

The fundamental guiding principal of most modern religions is to treat others the way you wish to be treated. While Christianity stresses, "All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye so to them; for this is the law and the prophets" Mathew 7:1, Judaism says the exact same phrase in different words: "What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellowman. This is the entire Law; all the rest is commentary" Talmud, Shabbat 3id. Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucianism all have similar quotes. Regardless of if a person believes in religion or not, most people agee that you should treat someone the way you wish to be treated. This Golden Rule is based on respect: if you respect others, they will respect you.
Respect is the only value that is needed to make good judgements. When you break a law, you disrespect someone: the store you rob, the person you injure, or the people you put in danger. A person who values respect will not hurt any ones feelings or act selfishly. If you respect people, they will be your friends and you will be able to count on them to support you. Respect is a two way street, i respect people who respect me. Respect can also relate to leadership, I cannot follow to someone I don't respect. If I respect a leader, I will try my hardest to succeed in a task because I feel an obligation to make them proud.
Another aspect of respect that is important is self respect. If a person respects themselves, they will eat healthy, exercise, study hard, and try to improve themselves everyday. A self-respecting person will not cheat or take shortcuts because they recognize that they are only hurting themselves.
While there are many core values that are important in life, respect covers all of them. Love cannot happen without respect, a person will be honest when they respect others, determination won't develop without self-respect, and morality is based on respect for nature or life. Respect yourself and respect others, this i believe. You will work hard and succeed, treat yourself and other right, and find true happiness.