Respect? Or Love and compassion?
Many people use the word respect, but I find this to be a flawed word. Love and compassion could be the way we all choose to live our lives.
Respect implies that others know our own individual rules for life. Let me give you an example. In one household it is seen as the head of the household position to sit at the head of the table during a meal as a show of respect. In another household they show respect by allowing the guest to sit at the head of the table, as a sign of welcoming them into their house to share a meal. Now imagine these two families getting together for dinner at one of these homes.Family one invites family two to dinner. A member of family two sits at the head of the table, as is their belief on what shows respect. Family one however sees this as a sign of disrespect.
This is a simple example of a misunderstanding that can cause bad feelings between two families, yet no member actually attempted to do anything more than respect the other. They do not understand each other’s rules around respect and thus problems can be caused. Now consider all the culture clashes around the globe as a result of the differences in what people believe. Consider all the ongoing wars and deaths and in many cases for generations they have fought. At what point do people stop even knowing why they fight?
Imagine each family and each individual had a philosophy of love and compassion, rather than respect. An ability to truly see all sides rather than merely the side that they were tought? We can change the world and Love and Compassion leads to understanding on all sides. Respect is a flawed term, and humanity may benefit greatly by referencing love and compassion rather than respect.
Thanks for reading, this can obviously be a much longer letter, but for now, i hope you have read this and can give thought to this view.
Hope your day is amazing.