There are lots of important matters
which would necessitate close attention, but from all, I truly believe that respect and sincerity require careful consideration because both play
fundamental roles.As we all know, the ancient wisdom states
that respect is a universal value that each
person desires not only to embody, but also to receive.
In other words, respect is a two-way street...if you want to be respected you would have to respect others as well. Further on this, we could simply state that respect is a global evaluation you give someone based not
only on words,
but also on personal acts, deeds and /or
attitudes. Aside, if people would
understand that their feelings and thoughts are taken into consideration that would
make others respectful as well. Also, it helps to refresh that true
respect is earned not imposed. If one demonstrates respect toward others,
implicitly the others will reciprocate on the same note, or at least they
should do so.
Following that, I would
like to emphasize that true respect begins with self-respect, which basically would encompass
your views of how you are actually living your own life. As a result, self-respect
then extends toward your circle/s, in respect of others. At the same time, true respect
comes with a clear understanding of differences, in a completely nonjudgmental
manner. From a social stand point, in our days, there are recognized two types
of respect: the first one is the respect which comes from wealth or social
status, and this type is impermanent because it is circumstantial (if a specific person loses all the social privileges then the related respect would vanish), and the second type is
the one which comes from the virtues a person holds (such as honesty, commitment, integrity, kindness, etc.) and this
type nobody can take away.
Nevertheless, if someone gets very fond of the virtues s/he is possessing that
person might begin to look down upon everybody else and as a result the value
of the embodied virtues would diminish dramatically, because only the non-attachment
to your virtues would bring genuine self-respect which is not to be confused
with ego; ego would need another one to compare with as opposed to self-respect
which is basically self-confidence or self-esteem.
Once again, I would like to highlight that in life, true respect is earned, it
can’t be imposed or demanded, and you need to give it in order to get it. Clearly, if
someone doesn’t respect your feelings or your values it means that person
doesn’t respect you.
As our elders would say, treat people the way you want to be treated,
and talk to people the way you want to be talked to. This, very easily, could begin with any
of us! Why not start trying to be more specific in showing that you respect
yourself and that you respect others. What if we all start to respect each
other more as human beings and then expand in respect of other people’s
beliefs, opinions, and views about life in general, in a peaceful, non-judgmental
and harmonious manner? Can you imagine what a wonderful place this world would
be?! When people truly respect one another they cooperate well with each other
and there could be less conflicts, more harmonious relationships, less wars,
more peace and for sure way more beautiful projects could nicely come
into existence…without any doubt, true respect has a deep significance in our
society, as well as a major evolutionary connotation.
Respect for ourselves guides
our morals and respect for others guides our manners.
On the other hand, sincerity
is a beautiful virtue based on which a person always speaks or acts truthfully
in alignment with personal feelings or believes. Sincerity always should
involve a pure mind and impeccable action/s, while simply being who you are and
being OK with that. A sincere person
is always a welcome addition to any environment. Aside of that, I truly believe
that sincerity requires a fair amount of personal freedom as well.
Also, there are lots of studies clearly showing that lack of sincerity, basically
means lack of empathy, lack of understanding, and lack of carrying. Many
stories have been written over time emphasizing that sincerity is a crucial key
to loyalty and trust. It is well known by now that true sincerity always breeds positive and lasting
relationships between all kinds of people, but be mindful though that the ones who try to fake sincerity
are putting themselves at high risk, because sooner or later the true self would
surface and if it is not in good standing that would lead to profound disappointment
and lasting resentment toward the perpetrator. People who practice fake sincerity risk to have their
credibility permanently damaged. There is an old saying, which states that
“respect is earned, honesty is appreciated, trust is gained and loyalty is
returned”, and time has been showing again and again that’s always the case.
Generally speaking, if people would learn to be honest with themselves first
and then understand and accept that nobody is perfect, but rather a unique piece
of work in progress would help immensely, leading to a more effective communication,
less frustrations, an increased level of compassion, and definitively a much
better quality of collaboration. Without any doubt, sincere friends and honest
opinions would benefit everyone, relationships would flourish and the correct
decisions are likely to be reached. Sincerely expressing our feelings, with
kindness and integrity, ultimately helps each of us to learn more about
ourselves, about the people with whom we interact, and all of
these would significantly impact the quality of the life we live, because life, like people,
deserves sincerity.
Sincerity is the face of the
soul and it is desired to be kept pure!
Summarizing my rather brief thoughts on the subject here, I could mention that in
many situations it has been noticed that both respect
and sincerity are perceived like an oasis in the
middle of large desert, and both have the potential to elevate the human
thinking, to refine the social interactions at all levels, and to enhance the
quality of collaboration and cooperation, while at the same time the truth is
revealed and preserved. Once into the realm truth, one could graciously extend
strength and wisdom, which would be quite nourishing.
May we each strive to become better and better in what we are doing in our
daily lives, having deeply rooted in our understanding that certain virtues and
values always must be carefully observed if we want to co-exist in a climate of
joy and lasting peace.
Our
values reflect what it is important to us & the most significant moments of our lives call out for our greatest virtues.
