I was talking with a woman on this site a little while back and we came across a disagreement. It seems that she felt that all women should be respected at all times. Whereas, I think some women (like men) deserve respect and some do not.

I do feel that all people, no matter their gender, deserve politeness. But, being polite is different from being respectful. I can be polite to anyone. But, I cannot respect someone I don't know. To respect someone is to hold them in high esteem. To be polite is to show concern for someone's feeling and comfort in social situations.

So, I hold the door for the little old lady at the store. But, I may not respect her. I don't know her therefore I cannot respect her. Maybe I would if I did know her. But, I don't.

She seemed to feel that I should offer the same respect to a homeless woman that I'd give the first lady. I think respect is earned. Some people deserve it and some do not.

Any thoughts?

I respect everyone until they prove me wrong.

someone thinks highly of her gender doesn't she?

from me, i show everyone an amount of due respect, just to be courteous, but after that, the person, man or woman, must earn the respect. if you're a complete douchebag, then i will treat you as such, regardless of your gender.

women have always wanted equal rights, have marched for it, have had an entire movement for it. so they have it.

Respect is earned not freely handed out as if it where Halloween candy.As far as politeness is concerned,absolutely for it is how I was raised & I firmly believe that it is an outstanding character trait.Godspeed!Cy

Respect is most certainly earned. I don't respect anyone until they give me a personal reason as to why they have earned my respect. Male, female, or trans gender, it doesn't matter.

I strongly dislike the ovary and estrogen power crap.

I don't understand how you can. do you really hold EVERYONE in high esteem? I don't think it works that way. I respect a very few people. Others I have contempt for, but most I am indifferent to. However, I am always polite to everyone.

I was raised to respect everyone, they might need only to say one word to loose my respect but I do not judge them until I know them and to not respect them is to judge them before you know them and to me they deserve basic respect until they prove me wrong.

If I do not know you I will respect you maybe not as much as a person I know and that as proven they deserve very high respect but they will still have it.

To each is own.

I think we are having a definition problem here. I was raised to show everyone good manners. But respect is different from being polite.

Polite: showing good manners toward others, as in behavior, speech, etc.; courteous; civil: a polite reply.

Respect: esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person, a personal quality or ability, or something considered as a manifestation of a personal quality or ability: I have great respect for her judgment.

I don't see how it's possible to respect someone you don't know.

I could say how can you not have respect for someone if you do not know them, that's judging before knowing.

Maybe it is like you say a definition problem but i think that you lose the respect you are due bye your actions you do not gain the respect because for me everybody deserve it, your actions will make you lose it not gain it.

To each is own.

I think that everyone deserves that others should be polite to them regardless whom they are.

But now I do show respect to everyone being respectful is being courteous. I do believe that one should respect others regardless whom they are or what sex. Respect is not something that is owed more to one due to gender.....



Respect denotes both a positive feeling of esteem for a person or other entity (such as a nation or a religion), and also specific actions and conduct representative of that esteem. Respect can be a specific feeling of regard for the actual qualities of the one respected (e.g., "I have great respect for her judgment"). It can also be conduct in accord with a specific ethic of respect. Rude conduct is usually considered to indicate a lack of respect, whereas actions that honour somebody or something indicate respect.

Specific ethics of respect are of fundamental importance to various cultures. Respect for tradition and legitimate authority is identified by Jonathan Haidt as one of five fundamental moral values shared to a greater or lesser degree by different societies and individuals.


Respect actually comes in different levels..... Just as I may respect your thoughts even if I do not agree with them.........

When I first meet someone they mean nothing to me. I am indifferent. I am neither respectful nor contemptuous of them. After talking with them I may walk away respecting or having contempt for them. But, not knowing them I can have no opinion of their character, which is what my respect of them would be based on.

I am not judging them until after I get to know them to some extent. But, I am always polite.

I think when you say "...you should respect others...." it goes back to our parents raising us with good morals, ethics and they always saying, "Good decent people 'Respect' your elders" and maybe some think of 'respect' as something different than you do. When someone tells me to be respectful of someone....to me, that simply means don't be a jerk too them....be polite, don't be mean, vicious or belligerent. Just simply be all those things my parents told me when I was young....Sounds like you are just splitting hairs here!

Yes I think respect should be earned, but it doesn't give anyone a right to be disrespectful to people either. The only people I hold respect for is my elders, otherwise build respect with others.

For me to respect someone is as much about self respect and my own security that people in general do not need to be feared.

The free gratis respect is for what most people contribute day in day out. So that kind of covers that "earning" concept. Because I see no work as particularly highe in prestiege than another I treat ditch digger's as well as brain surgeons.

Last but not least there is gender respect. If find either gender having a superiour attitude because each needs the other equally. But I have always thought, probably because I have been trained that way by general society, that disrespecting men or women reflects poorly on either genders that have proceeded me and made my life significantly better.

I don't hink you can be truely polite and considerate if you don't have some sense of respect so for me they are not mutually seperate concepts.

Disrespect by it's very negative nature; however; tends to contaminate and spread. So maybe I give a few undeserving individual souls a degree of respect but since it often makes people giving it benifit it is not wasted entirely.

Because I respect myself and believe all life deserves a level of respect, I give it.


A definition of respect might be needed for this conversation.


re⋅spect  /rɪˈspɛkt/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [ri-spekt] Show IPA
Use respect in a Sentence
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–noun 1. a particular, detail, or point (usually prec. by in): to differ in some respect.
2. relation or reference: inquiries with respect to a route.
3. esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person, a personal quality or ability, or something considered as a manifestation of a personal quality or ability: I have great respect for her judgment.
4. deference to a right, privilege, privileged position, or someone or something considered to have certain rights or privileges; proper acceptance or courtesy; acknowledgment: respect for a suspect's right to counsel; to show respect for the flag; respect for the elderly.
5. the condition of being esteemed or honored: to be held in respect.
6. respects, a formal expression or gesture of greeting, esteem, or friendship: Give my respects to your parents.
7. favor or partiality.
8. Archaic. a consideration.

–verb (used with object) 9. to hold in esteem or honor: I cannot respect a cheat.
10. to show regard or consideration for: to respect someone's rights.
11. to refrain from intruding upon or interfering with: to respect a person's privacy.
12. to relate or have reference to.


I give humans human respect as they are all my equals.

I respect myself and very few others. It is most definitely earned, and once lost, is gone for good.

i was raised to respect my elders my parents people and in athority untill they say or do somthing to make me loose that respect. but I also agree with the staements made that people must earn respect.be polite to evryone but respect is earned. dont know guess i am sort of on both sides here lol

I also was raised to treat others the way I wish to be treated. I wish to be shown respect so I show respect,, until given reason to do otherwise.

I show respect to everyone at first. But they can lose my respect or gain more
it's more of common courtesy at first