We can have respect out of fear or out of tolerance and in some cases indifference can look like respect.
In the above statement the conditioning factor is fear. We respect a lion, cobra, tiger or a shark out of fear. We respect such an animal because of how the animal could so easily harm us. The truth is though that if we had a gun and we came face to face with such an animal we would most likely shoot it - indicating we don't really have respect for it but fear. Respect brings love but fear brings harmful actions.
To get something from somebody we may respect. For example an employee respects the boss so that he will get promoted. Though as soon as he is not promoted he does not respect the boss's anymore and the first thing he disrespects is the boss's decision to not promote him.
We often give respect based on certain often silent conditions that our respect will be returned with some kind of favour.
We may be insulted and we look inside of ourselves we are not what they say we are and the respect for ourselves is not lost then we won't feel disrespected, and so we won't demand respect back from them. We then actually respect their point of view and don't try to change it.
The real respect is outside of any conditioning factor. In the example above, fear makes us to respect. When it is our essence or the love in our essence that makes us to respect then it is real respect.
What brings real respect is real knowing and lived experience plus love. In other words as with all the virtues - degrees of consciousness brings degrees of respect.
Even our personality makes us to respect and disrespect. Our personality is a factor which conditions our respect.
Culture is a component of our personality and it also conditions our respect quite a lot.
In a very macho culture to be insulted by a woman is a terrible sign of disrespect and the insulted man has to do something to get that woman to respect him. In other cultures a woman insulting a man is not seen as such a terrible sign of disrespect. So in a macho culture women respect men more but in culture with out machoism women respect men less.
End (4477).
No comments:
Post a Comment