It has been my conception that before you can respect others you must first respect yourself. This isn't always an easy thing to do. In the long run it is a goal to achieve.
As I have been thinking about this over time I was reminded of a passage from Knots by R. D. Laing that addresses an aspect of respect:
A son should respect his father
He should not have to be taught to respect his father
It is something that is natural
That's how I've brought up my son anyway.
Of course a father must be worthy of respect
He can forfeit a son's respect
But I hope at least that my son will respect me, if
only for leaving him free to respect me or not.
(Knots, R. D. Laing, Pantheon Press, 1970, p 4.)
When I first read these words I was struck with their power and humility. It seems to take great respect for self to be able to live one's life in such a way as to allow others to respect oneself or not. What a great gift this is to those with whom we will come into daily contact.
What type of world would we have if we all adopted a similar attitude?
Just a thought.
#321
1 comment:
Love your thought!
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