Respect — Old Fashioned but True

I wonder about people’s behaviours, their motivations / intentions, my reactions and how all of this changes when the people or situations differ. As far as I can see most of us are simply acting those roles which will garner us the most applause (maybe Shakespeare had a point). There doesn’t seem to a fixed principle around which people interact — almost anything goes it seems as long as one gets what one wants. They say one should learn to be more flexible, play the game and just move on.

Brian Lara was a genius with the bat. He destroyed bowlers and teams single handedly, he also walked before the umpire could give him out. He played the game, but he played it differently. You could chalk it down to an internal value system, but to me it threw light on the fixed principle I was seeking, ie, Respect — for the game, other players and even for oneself.

Respect could then be an anchor around which I could map everyday behaviours. Does my interaction show respect / disrespect for the individual? Going a step further, can I enhance the other person’s sense of self through my behaviour? I find myself being quick to take offence but very rarely do I seriously think about how I treat others.

Maybe I should stop wondering about the behaviour of others and focus on my own behaviour more.