Opus 2024-210: Respectfully

Is respect a key element in friendship?  The reason I ask is because I was thinking about some people that I call “Friend”.  I spell that with a capital “F”, and there are very few people who qualify.  I have a reasonable number friends with a small “f”, they are not the ones I’m talking about.  Small “f” friends don’t really require respect.  Capital “F” friends do.

I am questioning this because when I think about those capital F friends, I find that they have some very glaring Achilles’ heels.  In each of them I can find areas where there are glaring shortcomings.  In spite of that they are my Friends.  My question is, do I respect them?  I love them.  I enjoy their company.  They are an important part of my life.  But do I really respect them?

In a way, I would say “No”, because respect to me means, looking up to someone.  My friends tend to be people I look across at not up to.  I definitely don’t look down on them, but I don’t hold them in great reverence or respect.

At the same time there are people who I would not consider friends, people I don’t even really know, but I would respect.  In some cases, the respect is because of their position.  There have been presidents that I would respect.  Obviously, that does not apply in our current situation, but in others it would.  Those people in positions might have terrible home lives, and not be pleasant to be around, but they have still possibly earned respect.

Respect is earned.  One of the destructive contributions that progressives have made to our culture is changing words like “respect”.  In the old language, respect is earned, and it meant someone that you could look up to and admire.  In today’s modern, progressive language respect means that you think everybody is the same, that all cultures are the same.  Discernment is thrown out the window.  Absolute values are discarded.  We called this multiculturalism, or at least we used to.  I’m sure it hides under a new name today.

We need to get back to the day where our leaders have earned their respect, not just a vote every few years.  It might also be beneficial if each of us would work on our behaviors and patterns of living in order to be worthy of the respect of others.  Don’t expect it.  Don’t demand it.  Earn it.

homo unius libri