It is not an odd thing when some people are respected more than others are. Respect is earned and some people earn more than others do. That's not the main point.
I'm actually referring to relationship of all sorts and the respect that needs to exist for those relationships to exist. I added "of all sorts", it could be relationship with your parents, friends, partners, coworkers, classmates or loved ones.
Respect in these relationships should always be mutual, should always go both ways. If one person gives it and the other doesn’t, the balance is lost. What happens when there's no balanced respect? It's just a matter of time until the one getting disrespected gets fed up with the disrespect and either there's a change in the positive direction or the relationship can no longer continue smoothly.
The problem with having way more respect for someone than they do for you is that, you end up lowering your own value and give them an impression that it's fine, it's alright if they treat you less.
Of course, you don't beg for respect when you notice someone doesn't respect you, you can't force it either. But you also can make someone value you by giving them more than they give back. When people notice that you'll only treat them with as much respect as they'll give to you, they'll put more effort into respecting you and your boundaries.
People also take notice when you allow them to walk all over you the first time. They are bound to do it again. Some people take advantage of your kindness instead of just appreciating it and reciprocating it.
The wise thing to do is to give respect to yourself first. When you do that, others will learn how to treat you by watching how you treat yourself.
Equal or mutual respect is what builds a healthy relationship. Unequal respect in a relationship will result into one party having too much control over the other, the one disrespected most of the times will be filled with guilt and a silent resentment.
If you're in any form of relationship with someone, watch out for these things. If you realize that they usually mock your efforts, they ignore your feelings or usually try to make you feel small, that's a sign they have no respect for you. When you find out that someone does not respect you, I'm not telling you to start disrespecting them because that just makes you no better. You can still be polite without giving deep respect to someone who doesn’t deserve it.
Creating a distance between yourself and the person is sometimes the best answer. You don’t have to stay close to people who refuse to see your worth. You should have limits and learn to say no when others cross those limits.
Mutual respect is the bedrock of every real relationship.
