CHARACTER DOES NOT CO_NT WITHOUT U: JANUARY 2023
Monday, Dec 19, 2022
R – E – S – P – E – C – T : Aretha Franklin reminded the World how it's spelled, but many need coaching on how to show it. In personal and political relationships, the failure to treat each other respectfully generates incivility, contempt, and violence.
There is an important distinction between respecting a person in the sense that we admire and hold that person in especially high esteem and treating others with respect. While respecting others is desirable, respectfulness is morally mandatory. Thus, people of character treat everyone with respect, even those who are not personally respect-worthy.
How we behave toward others is an expression of our values and character. Thus, we should treat others with respect, not because they have a right, but because we have a moral duty to do to others what we want them to do to us. Again, it's not because they deserve it, but because doing less would diminish our character.
That is the message in an old story about a politician who was drawn into mudslinging and name–calling. Once he realized he was lowering himself to his opponent's level, he stopped and said, "Sir, I will treat you as a gentleman, not because you are one, but because I am one."
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Have students take this self-evaluation true or false quiz |
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Are You a Respectful Person? T F: I treat people the way I want to be treated. T F: I treat people with civility, courtesy, and dignity. T F: I stand up for others if I see them being picked on. T F: I am sensitive to other people's feelings. T F: I never insult people or make fun of them. T F: I never ridicule or embarrass people. T F: I never go along with prejudices.
I think I am/am not a respectful person because:
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