Respect comes from within...and not just because the other is an elder.I believe that respect is one essential ingredient to the recipe of affection or idolization.
Our country has a weird social understanding of the concept of "Respect".
It's so funny that people ask others to respect them when it is quite clear that one does not need to ask for it if he/she is substantial enough.
I donot understand the social stigma which makes it mandatory for youngsters to respect all the elders or the ancient methodologies or anything said by a great public figure.
I feel that its not necessary that I even "show" respect to anyone who just fulfills the above criterion.Respect,to me,is a concept which one feels rather than shows.
I like to view a multidimensional perspective of whatever I come across.Talking of respect,I think the best way to go about it is by exemplifying experiences...
"He removes the greatest ornament of friendship, who takes away from it respect."
In fact its not just friendship,it can be any relation but if one stops respecting the other,then the charm of the relation diminishes.Respect is one of the powerful forces that draws you near to a person,or makes him/her your idol.Respect is not just something stereotyped for elderly and superiors.It could be for anyone,a person of your age or even younger.What counts is the credibility of the person and his personality.I have been through the emotional ride of respecting a friend and then altering my belief because of one act of that person and then loosing the faith and affection towards that person...For me,respect really matters in any relation.
"That you may retain your self-respect, it is better to displease the people by doing what you know is right, than to temporarily please them by doing what you know is wrong."
We as students are asked to respect our "so-called" teachers and other senior members.But are they worth paying respect?Do we really respect them or just show respect to save our skins?Why this hypocrisy?Just so that we are'nt in trouble?But have we ever given it a thought that if we donot stop this act of "showing respect" to undeserving people,the fallacies will lead the power in wrong hands.
Another dimension to this category of respect is the mutuality of Respect.It doesnt make sense when its said as a rule that "students should respect all teachers" ,when there are students who deserve to be respected themselves...Teaching is supposed to be a sacred occupation wherein knowledge is dispersed without seeking selfish goals..But it seems exactly opposite in our country..A student is checked a 100 times for his eligibility to enter any institute but is there even a refined process for selection of the educators?And then we are asked to respect?? ASKED TO RESPECT...
It really sounds so amusing...as if the faculty are mocking themselves....
Once a teacher said to me -"Vivek Anand was the only disciple of his Ramakrishna who said that had he been GOD he would have designed the world in a different way" to which Ramakrishna replied -"Yes you can do it Narendra".
After phrasing this the teacher said that you people must be like Vivekanand....and that was the moment I felt saying-"It could be possible if you could be respectable and encouraging enough as Vivekanand's Guru"....
Traditional beliefs are yet another episode of Indian social stigmas...Most people practice "touching feet of the elderly" as a sign of respect.And the funny part is ,incase they don't bend and touch the feet,some elders ask ..or may be their parents
them to do so..Why???Just to SHOW respect!!!man when will anybody learn that respect is not a show-off commodity!!
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