Whenever I see someone say “you only owe people respect if they’ve given you respect,” I wonder how this cycle is supposed to begin
If “they’ve given you respect” means “they haven’t been outright assholes to you” then I can see it, but … that’s not what is being said
Does complete lack of interaction count as respect? because that’s how all human relationships start (except maybe the relationship with the one who gave birth to you)
(and that one sure as hell did not start out showing you respect. Love, certainly, but you’d have to warp the definition of respect a whole lot for it to describe any way anyone has ever treated a baby)
really good point that ties into the point about parents
pretty much all parents would consider it really disrespectful if their kids treated them the way they treat their kids. They may believe they are treating their kids with respect but it is never the same definition of respect they want their kids to treat them with
because it is… just not possible, the way that dynamic works, for those two parties to treat each other equally
so, nobody ever actually starts out being taught the “rule” in that first post there. all kids start out being expected to show respect for people who have not shown them respect.
(At least not by the same definition they’re expected to show it)
And this is probably kind of good? Because if everyone always waited for someone else to show respect before showing respect to them, there would either be 1. no interactions at all, or 2. only disrespectful ones