7 behaviours that make people lose respect for you

The Oxford Dictionary defines the word respect as” a strong feeling of approval of somebody/something because of their good qualities or achievement”. Respect is subjective and differs between individuals, communities, and cultures. For example, In Eastern culture, respect plays a significant part in human interaction, and it resides deeply within cultural and spiritual traditions. It is not just politeness but includes a profound reverence for every living creature. Eastern cultures like those in India and China emphasize virtues such as filial piety, where people show love and respect for elders, parents, teachers, mentors, and spiritual leaders. In Indian society, people consider it disrespectful to call others by their name, while religion and folk traditions give certain animals like snakes, tigers, and cows a respectable position.

Read More: The Psychology Behind Respect

In Japanese and Korean societies, formal language is used in front of elders as a form of respect, Respect is crucial for any human relationships. It means valuing others and treating them with courtesy and kindness. Multiple cultures have taught respect as a virtue over many centuries, and they require that everyone receive respect unless proven otherwise. However, we must keep in mind respect is a two-way street; one can only be respected if they respect others and this respect should be visible in their behaviour. Demanding true respect from others is of ineffective, regardless of your authority or posting but losing respect for someone can occur easily due to certain words or actions. We need to be mindful of behaviours that can cause others to lose respect.

Rudeness

It is essential that we actively practise mindfulness and civility in our communication, by being attentive to our tone of voice and word choice. Even accidentally speaking rudely can quickly destroy the respect, other people hold for us. Moreover, people may interpret actions like ignoring someone or not responding as disrespectful. Consequently, it is crucial to communicate politely and quickly to preserve goodwill and respect for one another.

Aggression

When we are unable to control our emotions and manage anger properly, these emotions manifest themselves in our actions which puts off and repels people from us .anger is emotion which is manifested in verbal attacks, intimidation, and threats. Even when this aggression is not targeted toward anyone, aggression has also been linked to peer rejection. A study by Kupersmidt and Coie (1990) found that 50 per cent of highly aggressive children who engaged in delinquent acts lacked respect among their peers. This evidence suggests a strong correlation between aggression and both sociometric popularity and liking.

Running late

Being late conveys a lack of consideration for the time of others., constantly arriving late for meetings, making those who must wait for you irritated, this is very disrespectful for people who must wait, to avoid this you must Schedule more time as a buffer to help you fight chronic tardiness, set alarm, and communicate the politely the reasons for running late.

Dishonesty or Not taking accountability

Human beings are social beings therefore they often lie to avoid conflict or to gain respect, for example lying to managers or bosses, that the idea they suggest seems nice, even if it is not, While it may seem a smart move to try to lie at first, but the truth eventually comes out in the end and this is often viewed as a cowardly move that undermines credibility and trust. Sometimes people lie to avoid taking responsibility for their actions and owning up to their mistakes, which can harm respect. For example, reacting defensively when questioned about a mistake and blaming others can lead to a reputation for being both thin-skinned and dishonest.

Speaking over other people

When you speak over other people, you start talking while they are still talking, by raising your voice so that it drowns their voice, Some do this unknowingly, and it will cause a loss of respect. If you don’t respect others, they won’t respect you. Talking over someone implies that you consider them irrelevant or their words unworthy of being heard. Acting this way is extremely rude and selfish, leading others to stop speaking with you and respecting you.

Not listening

If you are speaking over others then there’s a chance that you’re not listening to Their voice either. You might find yourself zoning out or listening briefly and when asked for answers, you can’t respond and end up asking to repeat, this action will make you lose respect. The best way to prevent this rude behaviour is to go out of your way to be an active listener. This suggested that you will need to engage and interact with what the speaker is trying to say and to ask various questions that will keep them talking.

Having poor personal hygiene

Having bad breath, or body odour, and biting your nails are certain indicators of having bad personal hygiene. By Having poor personal hygiene people will just stop respecting you – they’ll stop hanging out with you altogether. You will lose people from your life without even knowing as people will be too polite to tell you whether you have poor personal hygiene, and so the only way to make sure that you smell good and that you’re clean is to take frequent showers, brush your teeth and do whatever else needs doing

Read More: Personality Complexes: Understanding Different Sides of Yourself

We must reflect on our behavior and constantly strive to improve it while building and maintaining relationships based on mutual respect. This ongoing process requires empathy, strong value systems, and ethical principles. Human beings can’t exist without respect and empathy from one another, therefore we must not fall from other people’s eyes, and maintain respectful boundaries and dignity.