The first form of respect is respect for the human being. I respect everyone who looks like a human being and act like a human being as a living thing (that said, if you do not look like a human being, by that I mean fashion sense and not anything else). This is the most basic form of respect. Thus everyone I meet will start with at least the first form of respect from me. That is unless you show up in some green long pants and oversized purple shirt with slippers, which kind of makes you look more like an alien than human being, or, if you decide to spit on the ground the first second I see you, which makes you a scum of the society.
The second form of respect is respect for the older age. This means that as long as you are older than me, I will respect you because you have been in this world for a longer time. This also means I am assuming that you have more experience or knowledge than me in some sort of area, academic wise or street wise. Thus if you were lucky enough to be older than me, then you will automatically earn the second form of respect from me. That is unless you prove to me within the first 1 hour of interacting with you that you have completely no form of higher knowledge or sensibility than me. Not that you can't stop me from giving you respect after the first hour of interacting with you though.
The third form of respect is respect for the capable. This means that you can get things done in an awesome manner, or you are smart and utilises this smartness in a good way, or most of all, the fact that you live has made the environment a better place or made lives better for someone else, and that will earn you my respect. This is the highest form of respect. I guess I don't have to elaborate about the third form of respect. You earn it or you don't.
I hope I don't come across as an elitist. However, everyone has their own way of judging people and this has always been the way I place value on people. I mean, one usually does not make an effort to interact with someone who appears to be a complete douche bag to you right?
Let's face it, all humans experience peer influence. I hate to judge someone whom I already knew for some time just because a mutual friend had lousy comments about him. However, lately I find that I am often force to narrow my definitions of my forms of respect. If a person who is completely oblivious of his lack of capabilities and not realised that his actions show little of his maturity, I cannot be a charity and show him any of my second and third form of respect.
Fear not though, for I am more tolerant with my definitions of my first form of respect. As long as you don't become a scum of society, or the community, I may yet move to the side to let you pass when you need to walk past me. Still, patience is not a virtue I hold when I give out respect. So don't test it.
You earn it, but you can also lose it.
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