At the onset of his phenomenal career, actor Keanu Reeves starred in the ridiculously funny flick Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and got typecast as a dumb and goofy figure, or, as movie scribes describe it, an "airhead." But some of the best directors saw something rare in the lanky, somewhat monotonous guy: a great talent waiting to be unleashed. Acclaimed director Bernardo Bertolucci cast him in Little Buddha as the Enlightened One himself. Alfonso Arau made him into a gentlemanly soldier in A Walk in the Clouds. And the Wachowski Brothers transformed him into a worldwide cult icon in The Matrix series. So much for being an airhead!
Everybody has his or her share of not-so-pleasant things, and that includes YOU. If you don't want others to rummage through your personal closet, then don't do the same to them. The lesson is simple: always look for the best in those you mingle with. Accentuate the positive and let it grow! Here are some tips on how to increase respect for others:
BE HONEST
Honesty will always be the best policy. An honest person is truly a rare breed nowadays!
BE FAIR TO OTHERS
The Golden Rule says it all: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. If you want to be treated with respect, then treat others with respect too. In life, everything comes full circle, so whatever you do to others will eventually come back to you. Here's the bonus: when it does come back to you, it's going to be a lot more than you expected!
NEVER, NEVER ARGUE
Even if you know you may be right on a certain matter, there are times when it's better to just swallow your pride and maintain your good reputation with others. The key is to discover when to argue.
APOLOGIZE ONLY WHEN TRULY NEEDED
If you don't respect yourself, you tend to over apologize. Do not apologize for making a reasonable request or order; this reinforces your lack of self-confidence.
KEEP YOUR PRINCIPLES INTACT
If you choose to avoid smoking or drinking, don't let anyone bully you into breaking your resolve. Even if friends say, "just one shot" or "break it for a moment," in the end, it's you who will feel the pain and the guilt. A commitment to your values - consistently doing what you believe in - is a good way to raise your self-respect. The principles we uphold are based on what we value, what is important to us, our priorities.
ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS
One day, some friends and I decided to eat in an Oriental restaurant. The waiter took our order and we waited to be served. We had been waiting a long time when we noticed that a group who ordered later than we did had already been served. We complained to the waiter. "Their order and your order are different," he coldly replied. We were so miffed that one of us suggested we walk out.
Perhaps we wouldn't have been so offended if he had said, "We're really sorry. We'll do everything to get your order served right away."
Respect begets respect. If you make a blunder that causes damage to other people, be brave enough to take responsibility for it.
NEVER SPEAK ILL OF OTHERS, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE NOT AROUND
Avoid gossiping. If you don't have anything good to say, keep your mouth shut.
TOLERANCE: THE EPITOME OF RESPECT
Tolerance is usually defined as the capacity to recognize and respect others' beliefs or practices. Tolerance is also a social, cultural and religious term applied to the collective and individual practice of not discriminating or persecuting those who may have different sets of beliefs.
Do you know that much of the world's tragedies spring from intolerance? The persecution of the Jews throughout history, the horrific genocides in Rwanda, the mass executions of Cambodians by the Khmer Rouge - all these are results of intolerance.
How tolerant are you? Tolerance involves acceptance and respect. When you are tolerant, you recognize that the world is made up of differences, and these differences are what make our world so interesting. When we respect others for the way they live their lives, we are telling them to respects us, too.