Brainy Dose Presents:
How To Get People To Respect You - 20 Ways To Earn Respect
In many social and professional situations, there are titles, positions, and ranks that
command respect through earned status.
That said, should you blindly respect your teachers, your boss, or even your parents?
What if those people aren’t behaving in a respectable manner?
What if they take advantage of their position?
Well, here’s the thing...
Age or position shouldn’t be a prerequisite to gaining respect - it’s more about how
someone conducts themselves, their attitude toward others and their actions.
Respect is paying thoughtful consideration to another person's words, feelings, thoughts,
ideas, wishes or needs.
We all want to be respected by others, but respect is something we need to earn.
If you want to be happy and successful, learning how to earn respect from others should be
an important goal.
So let’s get to it!
Number 1 - Honor What You Say
Nobody likes a dishonest or unreliable person.
A well respected individual is one who is honest in their communications and can be
trusted to do what they promise.
This is by far one of the most important actions you can take to start gaining respect.
If you took commitments lightly in the past, don’t do that anymore.
Come through on your promises.
Call when you say you'll call, turn in assignments on time, and stand by your word.
If for some reason, you can’t honor a commitment, make sure you address it accordingly, and
make up for it.
Number 2 - Don’t Waste Other People’s Time
If you respect other people’s time, they will respect yours.
This includes not being late for appointments, not spending meetings talking about useless
things, getting to the point fast, bringing up issues right away, being concise … and
of course, making it easier for others to make decisions, especially when they are busier
than you.
Number 3 - Don’t Badmouth Others
Whether it’s in a professional or social setting, it’s not appropriate to bad mouth
people.
You certainly will not earn any respect by doing this.
If you’re unhappy with someone and what they’re doing, talk to them and work things
out.
Don’t talk behind their back – that’s the kind of behavior that attracts gossip
and negativity.
Not only does it reflect badly on you as a person, it also hurts the other party, whether
you realize it or not.
So be honest and transparent when you’re communicating with others.
Always act as if the person you’re talking about is right there with you.
Number 4 - Stop Apologizing For No Reason
Saying “sorry” constantly without giving it a second thought, doesn’t earn much respect.
There is a time and place for apologies.
Sometimes you make mistakes that affect others – so you apologize to them.
But, stop tossing around the word “sorry” for every little thing!
Number 5 - Stand Up For What You Believe In
Have you ever come across someone who simply nods their head repeatedly, and just seems
to agree with everything you say?
You can tell that they’re not giving much thought to what you’re saying.
It gets meaningless after a while, as they just say yes to everything.
Those who politely disagree and stand up for themselves, get greater respect than those
who parrot others.
It’s important to have a mind of your own.
Don’t be afraid to stand up for what you believe in.
At the same time, make sure you do it in a respectful manner.
Number 6 - Stop Being Too Nice
Distinguish kindness from always having to do things for people.
Trying to make everyone happy won’t get you very far.
Being a pushover is highly undesirable if your goal is to be respected.
Not to mention, if you’re too nice to everyone all the time, some people might even think
you’re not genuine!
If you don't want to do something, say so.
If you've got a dissenting opinion and know in your heart that you're right, say so.
Being assertive in a polite, courteous, and respectful way will earn respect from others
- even when you disagree with them.
Number 7 - Speak Up When Mistreated
Don’t just take it when someone is mistreating you, or taking advantage of you.
Be professional and diplomatic, but don’t be silent.
Speaking up for yourself is not always easy to do, which is why it is the mark of a person
deserving respect.
Number 8 - Stand Up For Someone Else
When you see injustice around you, do you ignore it - in order to avoid confrontation?
Sometimes you have no choice, but there are moments when you need to stand up for others,
especially when they cannot stand up for themselves.
Don’t be afraid of confrontation once in a while, as long as you do it in a diplomatic
way.
Number 9 - Be Yourself
It’s better to be an original version of yourself than an exact duplicate of someone
else.
People respect individuals who are original.
Too many people try too hard to be someone else they are not, and in the end, they don’t
have a sense of identity.
Discover who you are and what you stand for.
What the world needs are more people who are true to themselves, not clones of each other.
Number 10 - Anticipate The Needs Of Others
Do things for others without being asked.
This shows that you're a considerate person, and makes others view you in a more positive
light.
If you know your partner's got a terrible day of work ahead of them, clean the house
and make dinner for them.
Taking a little initiative to make someone's day a little easier will earn you respect.
Number 11 - Believe In Your Ideas
Don’t discard your ideas, even if they seem funny, weird, or unorthodox.
Embrace your creativity and follow through with your ideas.
If you do this, you will achieve something great - and others will wonder how you did
it.
The thing is, many people have great ideas, but most of them are afraid to follow up and
implement them, because they seem too far-fetched.
Number 12 - Care About Others
Learning the skills of empathy is an important way to respect others and become respected
yourself.
Pay attention to your surroundings and the people in your life, whether it’s at home,
school, or at work.
Make yourself available for emotional assistance if it's required.
Genuinely caring about others, shows that you don’t only focus on yourself, but that
you have the emotional capability to pay attention and give help when needed.
Number 13 - Be Good At What You Do
Everyone loves competent people, especially those who present their best work all the
time.
You may just be starting out in your profession, but that doesn’t mean you’re not deserving
of respect.
It’s about starting small and building from there.
It’s through improving and gaining experience that you establish yourself, and earn the
respect of others.
It’s not an overnight process, but eventually, it will gain people’s respect.
Number 14 - Add Real Value
Whether you’re part of a community, a company, or a group of friends, if you can find ways
to offer value to others, you will be respected and appreciated.
Value can come in many forms, but in the end, it’s all about offering something that can
help solve a problem.
So create something of value, and people will respect you.
Number 15 - Offer To Help (Even If You Don't Need To)
To be respected and reliable, volunteer your talents and efforts to projects that need
help.
Whether you help family, friends, or your community, doing something good is a great
way to earn respect.
Others will take notice of your contributions, and it will raise their opinion of you.
Volunteer to do things that actually need to get done, not just things that you can
do well.
Number 16 - Control Your Emotions
Make sure to curb your instant reactions to things that make you highly emotional - whether
it is good or bad.
Sure, it’s OK to be yourself and show enthusiasm, but remember that well-respected people know
the difference between responding and reacting.
The latter is not a good habit.
Number 17 - Be Inspiring
You can be inspiring by talking to others about your passions.
And you can also be inspiring by encouraging others to follow THEIR dreams, goals, and
visions.
Show that you have faith in them.
Number 18 - Learn To Say NO
You’ve probably heard this one before…
But, seriously, don’t feel guilty about saying NO - once in a while.
You don’t need to agree to everything that someone asks of you, especially if it is a
superior or a client.
Sometimes, you are more respected when you say NO, rather than agreeing to do something.
When you say NO, you show you’re not afraid of admitting that you value your time, and
that you don’t have time for everything.
If you want to learn more about how to say NO, we made a video about it a little while
back – you can check the description area below for a link to that video.
Number 19 - Treat Yourself With Respect
It’s funny that many of us seek respect from others, yet we don’t even respect ourselves.
But if you want others to respect you, you need to respect yourself first.
We all have our bad days, so it’s not always easy.
But when you experience negative self-talk, just remember your strengths, and learn from
your mistakes.
Number 20 - Respect Others
If you want to be someone who is respected, you need to respect others.
Don’t treat someone differently because of the way they look, or where they come from,
or their different viewpoint - underneath it all, we are all the same.
We all crave respect and recognition.
To sum it up, respect is a direct reflection of how you treat others.
In other words, real respect is received through real respect given.
It’s a two-way street.
What do YOU think?
Which of the points on this list resonate the most with you?
Do you know any other ways to earn respect?
Let us know in the comments below!
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