When looking up various definitions for ‘self-respect’ stumbled upon several of which entailed answers such as “respect for one’s self” or “displaying respect for your own character.” Particularly, the Merriam-Webster dictionary uses the idea of “a proper respect for oneself as a human being.” Reading these interpretations, I did not feel satisfied whatsoever. Not only because the actual word ‘respect’ was one of the most used words, but because to fully process what self-respect is, you need to dive below the surface significantly more than this.
There is no specific component that self-respect is constructed of, nor can anyone even summarize it in one way at all.
As opposed to something that you possess, self-respect should be considered to be an ongoing display of the level to which you value yourself. Rather, one should define it as a continuing action, or a particular manner in which you treat yourself. If you truly believe that you are of the utmost importance and just as deserving of respect as anybody else, your actions should strive to reflect this.
Just like each individual deserves, we all should receive equal treatment.
No being is excluded from this proclamation. Even though doing physical acts of goodness is important, I would go as far to say that to display self-respect, it is equally important to not take part in certain ones as well. In fact, the things you refrain from doing say the most about your character. It’s very easy to be tempted into doing whatever it is that everyone else it taking part in.
That is a natural human tendency; we all are constantly searching for ways to appeal to others, and unfortunately a lot of the time people are willing to take short cuts and sacrifice their own unique character and borrow the ideas of somebody else.
Subconsciously people notice things about others that have worked for them to become successful, or at least the idea of what success is believed to be. Then these traits begin to be adapted by them, and people try to sample their “techniques for success” for their own personal gain. A lot of the population today confuses the definition of ‘success’ with being widely known. The more aware that society is of a particular person, the more that it comes to feel that they are doing well in their endeavors, whether or not it be for a good reason.
In the society that we are immersed in today, a lot of very demeaning acts unfortunately become glorified by the media. Famous people all around the world, particularly the United States, have made a name for themselves because of what they have done. A lot of these said “cool” things they do involve illegal substances, alcohol, and sexually degrading gestures. Whether we like it or not, the world around us influences our decision making processes, and it has gotten to the point where it is almost believed to be “socially unacceptable” not to do them!
This is where the idea of self-respect of being an act of abstaining should be inserted. It’s important to be confident enough in one’s character that conforming to the negative ways of the world to be thought of as acceptable, is simply unnecessary. Holding respect for yourself actually has a lot to do with external factors and physical location as well. Everybody possesses the ability to removes themselves from an unnecessary situation. Although some cases are easier to determine the best exit route, we are all constantly given a choice in the way that we deal with what we are dealt. One may not always have any power over what trials take place in their life, but there is nobody else to blame for how they react to the situation.
In uncomfortable times, we are solely responsible for how we choose to behave in response. Self-respect works hand in hand with knowing what to and what not to take part in, and not purposely putting oneself in a position that will be degrading toward their character. With that last thought in mind, it is very crucial that someone can trust their own intuition. Respect and trust are two words that very easily coincide, and definitely rely on each other for validation. If you were to think of a person that you have utmost respect for, you would trust them wouldn’t you? Trust is the element of having faith in the fact that someone will carry through with what they intend to, and a person with a lot of self-respect should hold themselves to that standard.
Creating a strong belief in one’s own opinion will allow them to not let themself be easily manipulated by any other person’s potentially incorrect belief. Only you know know what is best for yourself, and only you can know what it takes to get there. That’s not to say that taking advice from other people is a wrong thing to do. In fact, taking advice from a proven trustworthy person is a very smart idea. Multiple opinions backing up an idea is much more powerful than just one, but an opinion should not be easily absorbed. Again, it’s a personal decision as to whether or not someone is trustworthy, but there should be research done on that person before anything is taken to heart.
A person with a valid opinion would have a good record when it comes to their advice, have consistent opinions, and have good reasoning behind their decisions. There are a lot of factors, but initially it comes down to the person taking the advice. The tricky aspect of this is that someone could believe wholeheartedly that they respect themselves, but self-respect is only of worth if other people are able to detect it. Although it’s very much an internal identity, it really is only something of value when it can be noticed by others.
Creating a respected and admired reputation for yourself is one of the most valuable things you can even accomplish. Being willing to step in when necessary, and taking that tough step that not many people are willing to take is the reason that self-respect is so hard to come by. Because it requires a lot of courage and determination to project, it often get misinterpreted as being rude, impolite, or self-centered. If standing up for oneself was easy to do, everybody would effortlessly be able to say that they respect themselves.
In conclusion, to be respectful of yourself means being comfortable enough with oneself and to be satisfied with. To ultimately be pleased with your existence, confidence in your abilities is what it takes. Although it seems horrifying and maybe a little bit radical, fate ultimately is up to the one experiencing it. Attitude is a personal choice, and a positive one may have a surprising effect on the view other people have too. The highest honor anybody can receive is full respect; from both themselves and their peers. Reading from a passage written by Anjana Mazumdar, I really enjoyed the powerful statement where she writes, “The worst loneliness is not to be comfortable with ones own self thus life without self respect is not worth giving because it is bereft of all dignity.” (Mazumdar) Therefore, we all should strive to reach our highest potential, and just accept the greatness that we all harbor inside of ourselves.
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