I found this meme on Pinterest, which inspired me to write this post.

It takes a lot to drive me to the point where I lose respect for a person. I may disagree with an opinion or an action, but 99% of the time, I will usually treat them with respect. There are very few people I’ve encountered in my life whom I just cannot bring myself to show any respect for them.  I was raised to show respect for all individuals, especially your elders, but what if you absolutely have no respect for a person? I don’t care what they’ve accomplished in their life or how popular they’ve become, their interactions with other individuals tell an entirely different story. It is their repeated actions that lead me to lose respect.

Individuals, in my book, all start out with essentially the same level of respect (thanks mom). It is their actions that may change the level of respect I have for them. I’m not talking about petty little things that occur when interacting with people. I’m talking about a man who asks his daughter what is wrong with her and if she is a lesbian and in the same breath tells his wife that she was supposed to be an asset, not a liability when he finds out she is terminally ill, a woman who steals money from a youth charity and lies about it, or a person who lies the to people they supposedly love about their true identity, manipulates them, controls who they are allowed to be friends with, and feeds them with more lies. People like this have continually hurt someone we all know.

What happens when your partner, parent, best friend, etc… expects you to show respect to someone you absolutely do not respect? Do you put aside your own feelings and values in order to please them? Do you stand up for your own belief and cause strain or conflict in your relationship?  Every action has a consequence. Which one would you choose? I hope that my partner, parent, or best friend never puts me in this position but if it happens, I’m standing up for myself and accepting the punishment/consequence.

A. Mac