The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. (October 2014) |
Respect, also called esteem, is a positive feeling or deferential action shown towards someone or something considered important or held in high esteem or regard. It conveys a sense of admiration for good or valuable qualities. It is also the process of honoring someone by exhibiting care, concern, or consideration for their needs or feelings.
In many cultures, people are considered to be worthy of respect until they prove otherwise. Some people may earn special respect through their exemplary actions or social roles. In "honor cultures", respect is more often earned in this way then granted by default. Courtesies that show respect may include simple words and phrases like "thank you" in the West or "namaste" in the Indian subcontinent, or simple physical signs like a slight bow, a smile, direct eye contact, or a handshake. Such acts may have very different interpretations depending on the cultural context. The end goal is for all people to be treated with respect.
Signs and other ways of showing respect
Language
One definition of respect is a feeling of admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, and achievements.
An honorific is a word or expression (such as a title like "Doctor" or a pronoun form) that shows respect when used in addressing or referring to a person.
Typically honorifics are used for second and third persons; use for first person is less common. Some languages have anti-honorific first person forms (like "your most humble servant" or "this unworthy person") whose effect is to enhance the relative honor accorded a second or third person.
For example, it is disrespectful not to use polite language and honorifics when speaking in Japanese with someone having a higher social status. The Japanese honorific "san" can be used when English is spoken.
In China, it is considered rude to call someone by their first name unless the person is known by the speaker for a long period of time. In work-related situations, people address each other by their titles. At home, people often refer to each other by nicknames or terms of kinship. In Chinese culture, individuals often address their friends as juniors and seniors even if they are just a few months younger or older. When the Chinese ask for someone's age, they often do so to know how to address the person.
Physical gestures
In Islamic cultures, there are many ways to show respect to people. For example, one may kiss the hands of parents, grandparents, or teachers. It is narrated in the sayings of Muhammad "Your smiling in the face of your brother is charity". It is also important for Muslims to treat the Quran with great care, as it's considered the word of God. Actions like placing it on the floor or handling it with unclean hands are forbidden and should be followed by a prayer of forgiveness.
In India, it is customary that, out of respect, when a person's foot accidentally touches a book or any written material (considered to be a manifestations of Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge) or another person's body, it will be followed by an apology in the form of a single hand gesture (pranāma) with the right hand, where the offending person first touches the object with the finger tips and then the forehead and/or chest. This also counts for money, which is considered to be a manifestation of the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi. Pranāma, or the touching of feet in Indian culture is a sign of respect. For instance, when a child greets their grandparents, they typically will touch their hands to their grandparents' feet. In Indian culture, it is believed that the feet are a source of love and power.
In many African/West Indian descent communities and some non-African/West Indian descent communities, respect can be signified by the touching of fists.[citation needed]
Many gestures or physical acts that are common in the West can be considered disrespectful in Japan. For instance, one should not point directly at someone. When greeting someone or thanking them, it may be insulting if the person of lower status does not bow lower than the person with higher status. The duration and level of the bow depends on many factors such as age and status. Some signs of physical respect apply to women only. If a woman does not wear cosmetics or a brassiere, it is possible that she will be considered unprofessional or others may think she does not care about her situation.
Respect as a virtue
Respect for others is a variety of virtue or character strength. The philosopher Immanuel Kant made the virtue of respect the core of his Categorical Imperative:
- So act that you treat humanity… always at the same time as an end, never merely as a means.
Respect as a cultural value
Chinese culture
In Chinese culture, bowing is generally reserved as a sign of respect for elders and ancestors. When bowing, they place the fist of the right hand in the palm of their left at stomach level. The deeper the bow, the more respect they are showing.
Traditionally, there was not much hand-shaking in Chinese culture. However, this gesture is now widely practiced among people, especially when greeting Westerners or other foreigners. Many Westerners may find Chinese handshakes to be too long or too weak, but this is because Chinese people consider a weaker handshake to be a gesture of humility and respect.
Kowtowing, or kneeling and bowing so deeply that one's forehead is touching the floor, is practiced during worship at temples. Kowtowing is a powerful gesture reserved mainly for honoring the dead or offering deep respect at a temple.
Many codes of behavior revolve around young people showing respect to older people. Filial piety is a virtue of having respect for ancestors, family, and elders. As in many cultures, younger Chinese individuals are expected to defer to older people, let them speak first, sit down after them, and not contradict them. Sometimes when an older person enters a room, everyone stands. People are often introduced from oldest to youngest. Often, younger people will go out of their way to open doors for their elders and not cross their legs in front of them. The older you are the more respect you are expected to be treated with.
Indigenous American culture
In many indigenous American societies, respect is viewed as a moral value that teaches indigenous people about their culture. This moral value is treated as a process that influences participation in the community and also helps people develop and become integrated into their culture. For this reason, the value of respect is taught during childhood.
Respect as a form of behavior and participation is especially important as a basis of how children must conduct themselves in their community. Children engage in mature activities such as cooking for the family, cleaning and sweeping the house, caring for infant peers, and crop work. Indigenous children learn to view their participation in these activities as a representation of respect. Through this manner of showing respect by participation in activities, children not only learn about culture but also practice it as well.[citation needed]
See also
- Asch conformity experiments
- Attention
- Dignity
- Etiquette
- Category:Social graces
- Etiquette in Asia
- Golden Rule
- Identity (social science)
- Impression management
- Milgram experiment
- Non-aggression principle
- Peace Love Unity Respect
- Social comparison theory
- Social death
- Social support
- Value (ethics and social sciences)
References
-
- "respect". Merriam Webster. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
- "respect". Cambridge Dictionary. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
- Sommers, Tamler (2018). Why Honor Matters. Basic Books. ISBN 9780465098873.
- "Top Experiences in Tokyo - Fodor's Travel". www.fodors.com. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
- Millet, Joyce (2021). "Chinese Etiquette & Protocol". Protocol Professionals, Inc.
- "Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1956 - Chapters on Righteousness And Maintaining Good Relations With Relatives - كتاب البر والصلة عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم - Sunnah.com - Sayings and Teachings of Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم)". sunnah.com. Retrieved 2024-04-08.
- DeBruyn, Pippa; Bain, Keith; Allardice, David; Joshi, Shonar (2010). Frommer's India (4th ed.). Wiley. p. 76. ISBN 978-0-470-55610-8.
- Chatterjee, Gautam (2001) [1996]. "Namaskar or Pranam: The Sacred Posture of Hindu Salutation". Sacred Hindu Symbols (2nd ed.). Abhinav. pp. 47–48. ISBN 8170173973.
- "Cultural Variations In Body Language". Dimensions of Body Language. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
- Immanuel Kant, Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals (1785)
- Fernandez, David-Lorente (2012). "Ser respetuoso es ser persona. El niño y la pedagogía moral de Los Nahuas del Centro de México". Revista de Dialectología y Tradiciones Populares (in European Spanish). 67 (2): 431–452. doi:10.3989/rdtp.2012.16. eISSN 1988-8457. ISSN 0034-7981.
Further reading
- Beach, Mary Catherine; Duggan, Patrick S.; Cassel, Christine K.; Geller, Gail (2007). "What Does 'Respect' Mean? Exploring the Moral Obligation of Health Professionals to Respect Patients". Journal of General Internal Medicine. 22 (5). Springer Science and Business Media LLC: 692–695. doi:10.1007/s11606-006-0054-7. ISSN 0884-8734. PMC 1852905. PMID 17443381.
- Dillon, Robin S. (2022). "Respect". In Zalta, Edward N. (ed.). Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
- Farid, Sana (2005). "Respect". Beyond Intractability.
- Gross, David (12 November 2020). "Notes on Respect-for-Others". LessWrong.
- Johnson, Robert N.; Cureton, Adam (2022). "Kant's Moral Philosophy". In Zalta, Edward N. (ed.). Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
- Milgram, Stanley (1974). Obedience to Authority: An Experimental View.
- Rand, Ayn (1964) [1961]. "The Objectivist Ethics". The Virtue of Selfishness.
- Rawls, John (1971). A Theory of Justice. Belknap Press. ISBN 978-0-674-00078-0.
External links
- "Respect Research Group" (in German).—Multidisciplinary research project on interpersonal respect, with additional quotes, gallery, literature
The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject You may improve this article discuss the issue on the talk page or create a new article as appropriate October 2014 Learn how and when to remove this message Respect also called esteem is a positive feeling or deferential action shown towards someone or something considered important or held in high esteem or regard It conveys a sense of admiration for good or valuable qualities It is also the process of honoring someone by exhibiting care concern or consideration for their needs or feelings A sign entreating silence and respect at Arlington National Cemetery In many cultures people are considered to be worthy of respect until they prove otherwise Some people may earn special respect through their exemplary actions or social roles In honor cultures respect is more often earned in this way then granted by default Courtesies that show respect may include simple words and phrases like thank you in the West or namaste in the Indian subcontinent or simple physical signs like a slight bow a smile direct eye contact or a handshake Such acts may have very different interpretations depending on the cultural context The end goal is for all people to be treated with respect Signs and other ways of showing respectLanguage One definition of respect is a feeling of admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities qualities and achievements An honorific is a word or expression such as a title like Doctor or a pronoun form that shows respect when used in addressing or referring to a person Typically honorifics are used for second and third persons use for first person is less common Some languages have anti honorific first person forms like your most humble servant or this unworthy person whose effect is to enhance the relative honor accorded a second or third person For example it is disrespectful not to use polite language and honorifics when speaking in Japanese with someone having a higher social status The Japanese honorific san can be used when English is spoken In China it is considered rude to call someone by their first name unless the person is known by the speaker for a long period of time In work related situations people address each other by their titles At home people often refer to each other by nicknames or terms of kinship In Chinese culture individuals often address their friends as juniors and seniors even if they are just a few months younger or older When the Chinese ask for someone s age they often do so to know how to address the person Physical gestures A wife touching the feet of her husband In Islamic cultures there are many ways to show respect to people For example one may kiss the hands of parents grandparents or teachers It is narrated in the sayings of Muhammad Your smiling in the face of your brother is charity It is also important for Muslims to treat the Quran with great care as it s considered the word of God Actions like placing it on the floor or handling it with unclean hands are forbidden and should be followed by a prayer of forgiveness In India it is customary that out of respect when a person s foot accidentally touches a book or any written material considered to be a manifestations of Saraswati the goddess of knowledge or another person s body it will be followed by an apology in the form of a single hand gesture pranama with the right hand where the offending person first touches the object with the finger tips and then the forehead and or chest This also counts for money which is considered to be a manifestation of the goddess of wealth Lakshmi Pranama or the touching of feet in Indian culture is a sign of respect For instance when a child greets their grandparents they typically will touch their hands to their grandparents feet In Indian culture it is believed that the feet are a source of love and power In many African West Indian descent communities and some non African West Indian descent communities respect can be signified by the touching of fists citation needed Many gestures or physical acts that are common in the West can be considered disrespectful in Japan For instance one should not point directly at someone When greeting someone or thanking them it may be insulting if the person of lower status does not bow lower than the person with higher status The duration and level of the bow depends on many factors such as age and status Some signs of physical respect apply to women only If a woman does not wear cosmetics or a brassiere it is possible that she will be considered unprofessional or others may think she does not care about her situation Respect as a virtueRespect for others is a variety of virtue or character strength The philosopher Immanuel Kant made the virtue of respect the core of his Categorical Imperative So act that you treat humanity always at the same time as an end never merely as a means Respect as a cultural valueSign in Sao Joao da Barra saying respect if you want to be respected Chinese culture In Chinese culture bowing is generally reserved as a sign of respect for elders and ancestors When bowing they place the fist of the right hand in the palm of their left at stomach level The deeper the bow the more respect they are showing Traditionally there was not much hand shaking in Chinese culture However this gesture is now widely practiced among people especially when greeting Westerners or other foreigners Many Westerners may find Chinese handshakes to be too long or too weak but this is because Chinese people consider a weaker handshake to be a gesture of humility and respect Kowtowing or kneeling and bowing so deeply that one s forehead is touching the floor is practiced during worship at temples Kowtowing is a powerful gesture reserved mainly for honoring the dead or offering deep respect at a temple Many codes of behavior revolve around young people showing respect to older people Filial piety is a virtue of having respect for ancestors family and elders As in many cultures younger Chinese individuals are expected to defer to older people let them speak first sit down after them and not contradict them Sometimes when an older person enters a room everyone stands People are often introduced from oldest to youngest Often younger people will go out of their way to open doors for their elders and not cross their legs in front of them The older you are the more respect you are expected to be treated with Indigenous American culture In many indigenous American societies respect is viewed as a moral value that teaches indigenous people about their culture This moral value is treated as a process that influences participation in the community and also helps people develop and become integrated into their culture For this reason the value of respect is taught during childhood Respect as a form of behavior and participation is especially important as a basis of how children must conduct themselves in their community Children engage in mature activities such as cooking for the family cleaning and sweeping the house caring for infant peers and crop work Indigenous children learn to view their participation in these activities as a representation of respect Through this manner of showing respect by participation in activities children not only learn about culture but also practice it as well citation needed See alsoAsch conformity experiments Attention Dignity Etiquette Category Social graces Etiquette in Asia Golden Rule Identity social science Impression management Milgram experiment Non aggression principle Peace Love Unity Respect Social comparison theory Social death Social support Value ethics and social sciences References respect Merriam Webster Retrieved December 13 2017 respect Cambridge Dictionary Retrieved December 14 2017 Sommers Tamler 2018 Why Honor Matters Basic Books ISBN 9780465098873 Top Experiences in Tokyo Fodor s Travel www fodors com Retrieved 22 October 2017 Millet Joyce 2021 Chinese Etiquette amp Protocol Protocol Professionals Inc Jami at Tirmidhi 1956 Chapters on Righteousness And Maintaining Good Relations With Relatives كتاب البر والصلة عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم Sunnah com Sayings and Teachings of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم sunnah com Retrieved 2024 04 08 DeBruyn Pippa Bain Keith Allardice David Joshi Shonar 2010 Frommer s India 4th ed Wiley p 76 ISBN 978 0 470 55610 8 Chatterjee Gautam 2001 1996 Namaskar or Pranam The Sacred Posture of Hindu Salutation Sacred Hindu Symbols 2nd ed Abhinav pp 47 48 ISBN 8170173973 Cultural Variations In Body Language Dimensions of Body Language Retrieved 22 October 2017 Immanuel Kant Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals 1785 Fernandez David Lorente 2012 Ser respetuoso es ser persona El nino y la pedagogia moral de Los Nahuas del Centro de Mexico Revista de Dialectologia y Tradiciones Populares in European Spanish 67 2 431 452 doi 10 3989 rdtp 2012 16 eISSN 1988 8457 ISSN 0034 7981 Further readingBeach Mary Catherine Duggan Patrick S Cassel Christine K Geller Gail 2007 What Does Respect Mean Exploring the Moral Obligation of Health Professionals to Respect Patients Journal of General Internal Medicine 22 5 Springer Science and Business Media LLC 692 695 doi 10 1007 s11606 006 0054 7 ISSN 0884 8734 PMC 1852905 PMID 17443381 Dillon Robin S 2022 Respect In Zalta Edward N ed Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Farid Sana 2005 Respect Beyond Intractability Gross David 12 November 2020 Notes on Respect for Others LessWrong Johnson Robert N Cureton Adam 2022 Kant s Moral Philosophy In Zalta Edward N ed Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Milgram Stanley 1974 Obedience to Authority An Experimental View Rand Ayn 1964 1961 The Objectivist Ethics The Virtue of Selfishness Rawls John 1971 A Theory of Justice Belknap Press ISBN 978 0 674 00078 0 External linksWikiquote has quotations related to Respect Look up respect in Wiktionary the free dictionary Respect Research Group in German Multidisciplinary research project on interpersonal respect with additional quotes gallery literature
