Respect!

We humans seem to think we can continue to disrespect our fellow humans, the environment, nature, and the natural order without any adverse consequences. Our actions prove this every day, and it appears that the problem is getting worse as time goes by. Society, particularly Western society, has lost the will to be respectful, a trend that has been especially evident in recent times.

The human race is an integral part of nature, which, for it to work harmoniously, must, if any long-term relations are to be successful, respectfully take its rightful place in the world. To achieve this in any lasting or meaningful way, it is necessary for all of us to think and act more respectfully. Deliberately treating others and everything in the world with complete disregard for eventual consequences is foolhardy at best.

While many find it difficult to respect others, they will find far greater rewards if they also consider the other party rather than acting solely out of greed and selfishness. The consequences of their selfish thoughts and actions will not always benefit them in the long run. Every action in this world has a reaction of some sort, and often it is not to our advantage if the law of nature is ignored. Society’s general lack of knowledge only adds to the problem, as it is often easier to react to a situation rather than think it through. Many individuals are inherently lazy and therefore react automatically, as they cannot be bothered to think about the situation in any depth with any measure of respect.

The above brings me to politics. I think I can be truthful when I say that the extremes of the left and right have no respect for the opposite side. There can never be any acceptance that the other side may have a point. Each not only has no real knowledge of the other side’s viewpoints but also has no respect for anyone on “the other side”. This lack of respect creates the unhelpful divide that seems to exist in most societies, leading to confusion and a lack of useful dialogue. While politics is the obvious example of this divide, religion is another area where the lack of respect is rampant. It is all an example of “us and them”.

While most of us humans are competitive in nature, and that includes me, we need to balance that with a measure of respect, which, when things get heated, can be difficult. In the end, when all has calmed down and a degree of respect has been offered, calm will be restored. We may not always agree with others, but we should always respect their right to have an opposing view. Parting on good terms will then be the end result.

Now for my parting statement. Most of the world’s problems involving us human beings would be quickly resolved if we respected each other and, at the same time, respected nature and the natural order of things.

Respectfully, Phil Page