Things to Avoid if You Want to Have Your Respect  

As an adult you must command some level of respect among your peers and those below and above you. This is the mark of a responsible adult who has earned the bragging rights of being adorned with that title.

But you would agree with me that there are some adults who have literally lost respect among their peers and everyone who encounters them.

Why is this so? It is because they are doing things that bring them shame and disrespect very often. 

You must earn the respect before you are given. Truth be told, some people do not merit being respected, and I will tell you why. 

This article will focus on things that you must avoid if you do not want to lose your respect. You must make sure you save this article and reference it all the time in order to not falter in your life.

Without much talk, let us begin to shine the light on some of the things you should avoid if you want to be respected. 

Things to Avoid if You Want to Have Your Respect 

Over Apologizing 

One thing you must understand is that, it is a good thing to apologize when you go wrong, but it becomes a problem when it becomes one too many.

You should not be seen apologizing all the time for the little things that happen in your life. There are some that you just have to acknowledge the wrong and allow it to slide.

Apologizing too much will mean that you are not sure of yourself, and that, your confidence level is down. Again, it could also means that you are being anxious or eagerly looking for favors from people.

You should draw a line between when to render a genuine apology and when not to. It will help you maintain your respect. Apologizing frequently will bring you nothing but disrespect from people who should have been respecting you.

Frequently Nodding 

Nodding is one of the non-verbal communication cues that play an effective role when you are interacting with someone. You nod in agreement for the fellow to know that you are following the discussion.

But when you are doing it frequently, it gives out the signal that, you are probably not paying attention or you are not giving yourself some time to process the thoughts before nodding in agreement.

You should nod only when you are through with giving the issue a thought in your mind. Do not do it just to please people or to let them know that you are listening. 

Making Everything About Yourself 

Self-centeredness is one thing that can easily set you up for disrespect. In the midst of your friends and family members, you should nor make everything about you.

When there is an issue up on the table, you should be careful not to make it all about you. They will label you as a greedy person if you want everything to just be about you without considering others.  

You must always think about the welfare of others before your own. Even if you are leading a group and you make yourself the receiver of all favors and good things, it will not augur well for your reputation. 

People, especially your subordinates will easily disrespect you. You will strip yourself of all the respect that they used to accord you. 

Overpromising and Underdelivering 

When you become an adult who wants to keep your respect, you should learn how to keep your promises. You must be someone who will be able to deliver your promises.

This way, people will respect you for the truthfulness that you exhibit. You will be seen as someone who is capable of leading, since you never missed the chance to fulfill your promises.

But when you are the opposite who always promises big but deliver so little, people will start disregarding you, and that will consequently lead to disrespect. 

Excessive Gift Giving 

Generosity is a good trait, and we should all endeavor to be supportive when we can. But if you want to keep your respect among people intact, you have to learn about how frequent you gift people.

When you are fond of giving people gifts all the time, they will see you as someone who has no use for your resources, and some of them will exploit you. 

Others might also think that you want some favors from them that is why you are frequently giving them gifts. With this, they will start losing some respect for you.  

Some will even say that you want to paint yourself good in the public eye, a reason why you have literally become a Father Christmas.

Disrespecting the Opinions and Beliefs of Others 

This is the last extreme you can go in order to easily lose your respect among your colleagues. We as human beings have different beliefs and opinions, influenced by our diverse cultures and upbringing.

You must therefore, respect the opinions and beliefs of others irrespective of how weird they sound in your ears. You have to accord them some level of respect.

When you respect their belief systems, they will respect you and your belief systems. But when you talk down on them, they will pay you back in excess. 

If you want to be respected, you must be ready to respect the opinions of others. Do not be dismissive.  

Getting Drunk

Another way to easily lose your respect is getting drunk in public. There are some people who have made alcoholism their stock in trade. 

These people will drink excessively, and at the end they will embarrass themselves in public when they get highly intoxicated. 

Anyone who is fond of getting drunk easily in public is capable of losing his or her respect so easily. Anyone who regarded you will no longer regard you again. 

Conclusion 

Respect is key, and it means everything to some people. There are a lot of adults today who have lost their respect in society, thanks to their own actions and attitudes.

If you want to preserve your respect, you must not indulge in certain things which include all the things that we have discussed in this article.

Remember that, respect is not given on a silver platter, it is earned. So learn to earn your respect.