Written by Hannah Rethman.
Holding the door open for a stranger. Listening without interruption. Staying home so others don’t get sick. We all recognize these situations as signs of respect. But for some, respect seems difficult to actually apply it in our own lives.
There’s a common misconception that respect is equivalent to admiration. But respect doesn’t have to reflect one’s feelings, and can be based purely on consideration and courteousness for the lives and rights of others. You don’t need to like someone to call them “sir” or “ma’am.”
A friend of mine who works from home recently told me about how something a new co-worker said brightened up his entire day. A comment as simple as “good meeting” after a tiring presentation he gave was enough to make his time feel like it was worth it.
Yet it’s things like this that prove how rare respect can seem. It’s almost humorous how amazed we are when someone does something as small as saying “well done.” And as our older family members, coaches and teachers seem to constantly remind us, it seems like my generation has undergone a sharp decline in respect.
The need for both younger and older generations to gain respect stretches the gap wider between them. The frustration continues to mount because each age group wants to have just as much respect as the other. Teens around the world rebel in order to feel treated as equals as many elders firmly protect their need to be understood as wise. These two clash together constantly, and that isn’t a surprise.
There are many examples in history and in the present. When they were younger, many “Baby Boomers” were viewed as spoiled and disrespectful by those older than them. Now there’s a tendency for the teenagers of today to be viewed the same way, with all of the wonderful inventions available. But the teenagers aren’t innocent either, as made obvious by the sarcastic phrase, “Ok, Boomer.”
Generations have never been wholly harmonious with one another. For teenagers and those younger to be able to understand exactly how their seniors grew up would be like asking someone to understand life in a country that they never set foot in.
Perhaps there is more to it than the defiant actions we each may take against the other. Perhaps everyone is merely trying to find our place in society, as human beings. Adolescents long to be heard because our elders look down on us and tell us to have more respect when we’re only voicing our opinions. Simultaneously, elders also wish to be heard because their younger peers may not listen to opinions that seem ignorant and outdated.
It shouldn’t matter if you were born in 2004 or 1964. Respect shouldn’t be linked to age. No one should be treated less for being younger or older. Respect means more than recognizing someone as more intelligent than you. It means acknowledging that they are human too. Everyone deserves to be seen that way.
This is especially relevant to the quarantine we’re experiencing right now due to COVID-19. Even if you don’t care to comply with the stay at home orders and even if you doubt you could get sick, remember that this lockdown doesn’t just apply to those who are older or more at risk. It applies to you too. So respect the governor’s wishes, and respect the president’s, too.
But most of all, respect the people around you. It doesn’t take a lot of effort to smile at someone or listen to what they have to say. Life becomes a whole lot easier when you treat the people around you as important and valuable, no matter their age or opinion.
