Respect

Recommended Videos

SwimmingRock

New member
Nov 11, 2009
1,177
0
0
Generic Gamer said:
SwimmingRock said:
AverageJoe said:
I've also been told all my life that people in authority demand respect, teachers for example or policeman, again I disagree.
See, this is where it all went wrong in my life. I realized at age 10 with an IQ of 141 that I was genuinely smarter than my teacher that grade. Once I realize that people in positions above my own are bloody idiots, I lose respect for them.
You know that a ten year old's IQ scale isn't the same as an adult's right? You can't put an adult and a child on the same scale because the adult will normally far outstrip the child to the extent that the scale becomes meaningless. An IQ score is only valid as a snapshot of your abilities at that time and is standardised for your age.
Yes, I do know that. But my teacher was worse at basic reading comprehension and math than I was. She also had less general knowledge and a lesser ability to logically assess situations and solve problems. In short, she was as dumb as a bag of door knobs. I still don't understand how she got a job teaching children in the first place. We even had to get a different teacher once a week when it came time to learn long division, because our teacher didn't get it herself.


EDIT:
StBishop said:
SNIP

The only problem with that is, people with a high IQ can actually be incredibly stupid, in that that make bad (see; unfruitful, high risk low/no reward) decisions and have poor judgement.

I know a guy with a high IQ who's done absolutely nothing with his life aside from accrue large debts from friends and alienate family and read a metric fuck tonne of novels.
I also know people with pretty average IQ's (around, just over or just under 100) who've managed to get into, and be successful in university, who're likely to go on to achieve gainful employment and make a contribution to society.

Being intelligent is not nearly as important as you (or I) would like it to be.
Entirely aware of this as well. Did a project on it for my psychology study. High IQ children tend do worse academically, have lower general motivation and are more likely to be unemployed than most people would suspect.

My point was that dumb people being put in a position to tell me how to do my work gets on my nerves. Especially when I try to point out to them that there's an easier/smarter way and they refuse to listen simply because they feel the need to assert authority. I was not trying to say that I disrespect everybody less intelligent than me. For instance, my current boss isn't very bright, but she's good at her job, a good boss and a very nice person, so I do respect her.
 

Joccaren

Elite Member
Mar 29, 2011
2,601
3
43
SwimmingRock said:
Yes, I do know that. But my teacher was worse at basic reading comprehension and math than I was. She also had less general knowledge and a lesser ability to logically assess situations and solve problems. In short, she was as dumb as a bag of door knobs. I still don't understand how she got a job teaching children in the first place. We even had to get a different teacher once a week when it came time to learn long division, because our teacher didn't get it herself.
Sounds like you had my problem in primary school, only my teachers actually listened to me.
 

Latinidiot

New member
Feb 19, 2009
2,215
0
0
I respect everyone. That means I will treat them fairly unless they act to convince me otherwise. What I think of them is completely dictated individual character.
 

Smooth Operator

New member
Oct 5, 2010
8,162
0
0
Well in my book respect is earned with skill and wisdom, the status respect has no value to me.
I may be forced to obey someone with higher status but I will be second guessing them every step of the way until proven they are capable, because most of the top brass really isn't.
 

suitepee7

I can smell sausage rolls
Dec 6, 2010
1,273
0
0
AverageJoe said:
I've also been told all my life that people in authority demand respect, teachers for example or policeman, again I disagree. I definitely respect what they do; but their methods for doing so, and their personality, are completely different issues really. I like to judge everyone individually based on who they are as a person before I come to respect them, and I would like to think everyone has the same philosophy when judging me too, because i'm not a hypocrite.
you summed it up pretty nicely there. everybody has to earn respect in some form.

i mean, i'm a dick, my philosophy is everybody is a (insert favorite swear word here) unless they prove themselves otherwise, so i have the same issue with respect. nobody deserves it unless they show otherwise.

good example of this respect in authority though is fairly recently we got a new manager at work. she came down, demanding respect, and got none. we battled it out over a few weeks, and then she seemed to change her attitude. she actually said please and thankyou, and asked me to do things as opposed to demanding them. that started to gain my respect there. then just recently she fought on my side when another manager was gunning for me to give me a formal disciplinary, and i ended up just getting a verbal warning in the end. needless to say, i respect the hell outta her now, for standing up to somebody higher up, who had been there longer, in defense of me just because she didn't agree.
 

SwimmingRock

New member
Nov 11, 2009
1,177
0
0
Generic Gamer said:
SwimmingRock said:
Yes, I do know that. But my teacher was worse at basic reading comprehension and math than I was. She also had less general knowledge and a lesser ability to logically assess situations and solve problems. In short, she was as dumb as a bag of door knobs. I still don't understand how she got a job teaching children in the first place. We even had to get a different teacher once a week when it came time to learn long division, because our teacher didn't get it herself.
At the age of ten you're not really able to assess someone's logical ability, you're not logical yourself at that age and a ten year old child is less likely to be able to grasp every factor in a problem.
We got a writing assignment with a minimum word count. I couldn't fit it all on one side of the paper due to my large handwriting, so I continued on the back of the same piece of paper mid-sentence. She gave me a failing grade for handing in an incomplete assignment and complained about the fact that I had just stopped mid-sentence for no apparent reason. I showed her the back of the paper and she accused me of cheating, convinced I had added those 5 lines of text in the 10 seconds since she'd handed me the paper. I'm pretty sure I had a decent grasp on her lack of logical thinking.
 

Gigano

Whose Eyes Are Those Eyes?
Oct 15, 2009
2,281
0
0
Well, I have a certain minimum point-of-departure level of respect for each individual human, lost only if they treat or talk of any innocents without that basic measure of respect (so goodbye to any respect for people who follow stuff like the Book of Romans etc.).

Beyond that basic level, any individual which would claim respect from me would have to earn it on an individual basis (and vice versa). Merely being "old" certainly doesn't mean you have or is anything special, and since the older generation is more likely to have discriminatory views on stuff like race, gender, homosexuality etc. due to norms of the time they were raised, I bet I'd have to deny a comparatively larger portion of those demographics even the most basic worth too if enlightened to their darkened views.

And authority figures derives no respect as individual persons from the jobs they do, merely general respect as authority place holders filling in as to puppets to uphold democratic legislation.

So basic worth and civility - until if clear that not worthy of it - and otherwise what's individually earned.
 

DSK-

New member
May 13, 2010
2,431
0
0
For me, respect is earned. The only way it could ever be considered 'automatic' would be in regards to my immediate family and those I personally consider family.

Otherwise, it's earned based on my view of them. Even if I don't like or respect them, I'll still act civil all the while lamenting and cursing them in my head.
 

TriggerOnly

New member
Oct 18, 2010
230
0
0
Respect is a funny word. I think respect means different things to different people.

My dad what have you believe respect is fear and doing as he says with out question for a example.

I don't think I should have to earn respect nor do I expect others to earn mine.


For me, when it comes to people in this world. I try to take them as they are. No expectation, if they are nice to me I will be nice back. If people are mean or rude, depending on how saver I will not have any think to do with them. I don't know how I would even explain respect, but I have seen the way others would, and the way they use it. So far I do not see a reason to believe in it.
 

withoutnumbers

New member
Sep 8, 2010
15
0
0
I think you bring up a valid point, that respect is two things: an inner feeling and what you do to show those inner feelings. I think all humans deserve respect because we're all good and bad and we're all fighting the same fights. That being said, treat everyone with a degree of dignity.

Joe Schmoe on the street, I treat with respect because he is a human. I wouldn't spit in his face for no reason, I would give him a couple bucks for gas if he asked for it. My ex-girlfriend I treat with respect because she's a human, but I'd still like to beat her into a coma with a tire-iron. I wouldn't spit in her face even though she deserves it, and I might give her a cup of water if she was dying in the desert (sigh, to make my point, yes, I'd give her the water). My boss I respect as a human, but she is also responsible and fair and so I respect her more than a person I don't know anything about. I repay her respect to me in kind by being a hard working employee. Stephen King I respect as a human but also have a much higher level of respect for because of his work and how it has inspired me throughout my life. I can't do much to repay him but to respect him deeply and continue to support his work.

So I think respect should always be in our hearts for every human at a base level, but the degrees of respect beyond that can vary. Regardless of how we feel in our hearts, the actions taken on each person we encounter in our lives should not fall below a certain degree of human dignity that we all deserve.
 

Brainpalm

New member
Apr 17, 2010
101
0
0
I respect those who i feel deserve it, though i don't treat people badly or anything if i don't respect them. Respect in my view is more or less looking up to someone.

I will not respect older people who demand respect from me just because I am younger than them. I despise such people, they seem rude, entitled and self centered, yet they believe they it is I who is rude and some other rubbish. Anyone who demands my respect will not get it, and anyone who does not respect me is unlikely to have my respect.
 

tigermilk

New member
Sep 4, 2010
951
0
0
I find confident people often linked to an expensive private education and all the other trappings of wealth and power result in people effortlesly commanding respect.

I resent them as much as I resent myself for being complicit in perpetuating their success and subsequent inequality.
 

Fwee

New member
Sep 23, 2009
806
0
0
Everyone starts at base courtesy level, and either works their way up or down my "Kill List"
 

spartan231490

New member
Jan 14, 2010
5,186
0
0
AverageJoe said:
What are your thoughts on respect? Do you think certain people command respect automatically, whether you know them or not? Or does everyone have to earn it individually from you?

I was thinking about this today because people have told me elderly people command respect right off the bat simply because they have lived longer and experienced a lot. I disagree, there are plenty of old people who are not worthy of my respect because they are bigotted, rude, or otherwise insufferable.

I've also been told all my life that people in authority demand respect, teachers for example or policeman, again I disagree. I definitely respect what they do; but their methods for doing so, and their personality, are completely different issues really. I like to judge everyone individually based on who they are as a person before I come to respect them, and I would like to think everyone has the same philosophy when judging me too, because i'm not a hypocrite.

This doesn't mean that I am not polite to people, this isnt some misanthropic whine, I am a very friendly and sociable person who gets along with most, and is always starting conversations with new people. So it's not that. It's simply that politeness and respect are two seperate entities; respect implies I grant them an esteem of some kind, and that definitely has to be earned beyond basic politeness.
I kinda agree with you. I think that people who are police officers and teachers and the like deserve respect until they show me they don't deserve it. Others only deserve me being polite to them, until they show me that they deserve my respect. The elderly are just like everyone else to me. I treat them politely until they show me that they either do or do not deserve my respect.
 

Fetzenfisch

New member
Sep 11, 2009
2,460
0
0
Usually i dont respect anyone unless he shows me that he deserves it. Im not generally inpolite, i just dont treat anyone better for nothing.Some customers dont like that, but i seriously dont give a fuck. Just because they are older/richer/well known, i dont have to serve them first, be an asslicking yesman or give them anything special.If you want special service, be nice.Period.
 

TheTaco007

New member
Sep 10, 2009
1,339
0
0
If I don't know someone, I don't DIS-respect them. If they want me to look up to them or something they have to earn it, but likewise if they're assholes I won't respect them.