You shouldn't be disrespected, but what if you find yourself in situations where you are? Well, there are a few things that you could do to avoid being disrespected by people. I know how hard it can be when people don't respect you because there are many situations like this.
There are also people who think that we should just accept whatever happens because it's not our place to question them, as a matter of fact, we're supposed to play by their rules. However, this isn't fulfilling at all because it makes us feel that we are not important and we shouldn't have anything important to say or do on the matter.
Most of the time, disrespect comes from people that know you; acquaintances, and friends. It's only on some rare occasions you will come across a stranger that is disrespectful to everyone around them and at this point, it's safe to say that their behavior has nothing to do with you and they are probably just a narcissistic person.
But in the case of disrespect coming from people we are familiar with, it's something that doesn't just happen in a day, it builds up slowly over time and you might not have noticed it until it gets to a point where it becomes glaring. What I am saying in essence is that the more you open up to someone, the more you're giving them room to be disrespectful later on. Haven't you heard of the saying: familiarity breeds contempt?
This doesn't mean you should get close to people just so that you can avoid being disrespected. Instead, you should set boundaries early on and try to work on some of the things you do as a person, coz that is mostly what determines if someone is going to respect you or not; your behavior and attitude. Some of the things you should take note of:
1. Respect yourself: If you don't respect yourself first, how will you want others to respect you? If you don't believe in yourself and treat yourself with kindness, then how can others? It's important to remember that we're all human beings, with flaws and faults. But if we're going to be successful in our lives, we have to believe in ourselves on some level and that starts with respecting ourselves.
2. Not invited, don't go: If you're not invited to a place, then please just stay back. This is especially true if it's an acquaintance's house or even a friend's house. Enquiring before heading over might seem a bit much but saying something like "hey, I am coming over, is that ok by you?" Will save you a lot of trouble than just popping over uninvited.
Also, remember that a response like; "you can come if you want to" is not an invitation, I don't know how you see it but I personally see it as a disrespectful thing to say and I will interpret it as; "I don't want to tell you no but at the same time I don't want to say yes, so use your discretion and figure out you're not needed".
3. Speak only when it's important: As Plato said;
wise men talk because they have something to say; fools talk because they have to say something.
I know it's really hard to keep quiet when you don't have anything worth saying, but it's so important! If you talk too much, you'll just sound like a crazy person. If you don't talk at all, then people will think your silence means that you have nothing to say.
But if you only speak when it's important or if there's something specific you want to say and nothing else, then people will know that what you have to say is worthwhile, and they'll pay attention.
4. Mind your business: Now this one is tricky, there are both advantages and disadvantages to minding your business, and most of the time one of them is more than the other. There are some situations where even though something is none of your business, interfering will make it better but in some other cases, interfering may end up being a very bad idea and you might end up regretting it (or it might even be too late for regrets like this case below).
Image gotten from Whatsapp
But all the same, you should still mind your business just to be on the safe side. One thing I always do is that I don't interfere with things that are personal to someone else unless I am invited to share my opinion (remember tip number 2?).
Now according to the article, no matter what place you are, you should always mind your business. This will help you avoid being disrespected because some people don't like it when somebody comes and break their privacy or when they feel like someone is scrutinizing them.
I would have added more tips to this but what matters most is that you become a better person every day and always try to be respectful to others. If you want people to respect you, then respect them in return. Remember that respect is reciprocal and for you to receive it, you also have to give it out.
Thanks for reading 馃挅馃挅馃挅
Lead image model: Stubborn photo created by karlyukav - www.freepik.com
Edited in canva
