Respect is Earned
“Who you dissin’?” The familiar ring of a high school brawl about to ensue. Teens are very clear when they have been disrespected. They aren’t always clear on giving that respect to others, peers, adults or authority figures that is. Perhaps in this time of instant gratification their thought is that you simply get respect because you are, because you exist. It is true that each person deserves respect. They’re correct about this, but there are also things a teen can do to earn respect as well.
The film Robin Hood starring Russell Crowe has a scene where someone thinks Robin Hood is trying to scam them out of their money. It turns out he’s not, but a fight breaks out that is broken up by the king. When the king asks, “Who started the fight?” The man who realized he was not being scammed not only takes responsibility, but in doing so states that Robin Hood proved himself a more honorable person than he thought. The King says, “A man respected by even his enemy. This truly must be an honest man.“ This thought that someone can be of such honor they are respected by their enemy. This is what is missing from the teens that demand respect; to be worthy of respect.
This is a hard lesson to teach and it is one that is well worth the kicking and screaming your teen will do as you try and instill the lesson, but this lesson comes with such great reward. For it is this person that is not hired, but the interviewer recommends them to their colleague; this person who is not popular, but they are voted to represent the school at a political function.
This type of respect is worth its weight in gold. To be respected even by your enemies is a person of integrity. Oddly enough it is becoming this person that will allow your teen to care less about whether others respect them and more about whether they respect themselves. This lesson is priceless.
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