Youngster's deserve respect too!
Since i was born, I have heard these lines.
"Always respect your elders"
"Always show respect to the elderly"
We Indians have certain values that are taught to the kids in early years.
This is one of them.
I always did so.
No matter what.
Every young kid I believe, has known this and has to abide by it without a word.
But Sometimes,
I got disrespected and I couldn't speak a word about it.
I am sure every youngster goes through this once or twice in their life.
"It is right because someone elder said so".
For Eg: Youngsters most of the times give up their seat for the elder people.
Nobody minds doing that. Because there is empathy.
But when a man changes his seat without consent to sit beside his relative,
even when you have that seat booked in advance,
and when asked for it, the man says
"youngsters have no respect for elder's these days" that's tolerating.
(I booked that seat in advance for a reason!)
I believe that there is a difference between
- respecting the person and his personal understanding/perception/
which I absolutely don't mind
- and tolerating even if that person has been personally bad to you
because you "gotta respect the elders".
Everybody acts according to their learning and their perception.
Whether it is a 3 year old or a 60.
Everyone has to be respected!
Since a few months,
I decided to respect those who will respect me back.
And not tolerate their actions just because they came early in this world.
I understand that the experience matters.
However that does not mean, one gets the licence to disrespect anyone.
I decided to respect the youngsters,
Yes, even children!
Preaching is fine.
But getting away with unfair behavior just because you are an older/elder!
That's something I have decided to fight against.
I will speak up against anyone who is disrespecting me personally (just because "they can")
Because even I can!
P.s: Thank you so much for all the love on my previous episodes. This journey is going to be a long one and I hope we share it together every week.
Stay tuned for the next episode on next Thursday. Keep showering your love and take care of your health. Physical as well as mental. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. You can also connect to me
via email- aishd19@gmail.com
or via Instagram account name -@callmeaishwarya - https://www.instagram.com/
Until then,
Keep smiling!
Picture by- https://www.beliefnet.com/love-family/family-values-toolkit/family-values-respect.aspx?p=6
It is true that our culture teaches us to respect elders.... While in doing so, the very important aspect of life we forget to teach our children is to cultivate the habbit of asking and also answering logical questions... And to most of the parents and elder people, questioning by younger means an insult or it is considered invaluable . I see this as a very big lacuna not only into our family upbringing, but largely into our education pattern. It does not cultivate the habbit of asking questions... And disrespect to youngesters is a product of the reaction of elderly people or parents upon such questioning because they were also grown-up in the same culture and the education pattern....
ReplyDeleteSo the solution lies in cultivating the habbit of asking as well as answering the questions by anyone to anyone.. Probably this is one of the good teaching pattern in the western culture, we should grasp. Perhaps our education system does not inculcate the thought process to respond in a given situation, and that leaves the open space to be filled by the reactive response of the questionee and most of the time he is the elderly person. So let's strive to modernize our culture too to inculcate such habbits during the upbringing of our younger generations....
Keep searching.....
Exactly, There should be mutual respect for each other.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, elders will take undue advantage if the respect is only one-sided.
As the above comment says, the root of this problem lies in our education system which does not teach us to question or think logically. If a kid asks something to elders, and elders are not able to answer logically, they put it under our 'culture and values'. Now when you have recognized the problem, your generation should work on it. Respecting others is a value, no doubt, but it should be irrespective of age. Whether elder or younger, respect him/her. But very important is, first respect yourself. It does not require to be rude. It can be very polite, but firm. So respecting yourself also should be the 'value' in our life.
ReplyDeleteKeep thinking and keep writing.
Thank you everyone !!
ReplyDeleteRemember one aspect, "Respect is always commanded and not demanded". This applies to everyone irrespective of age, gender, cast creed, religion etc etc.
ReplyDeleteRespect starts from oneself. Everyone should "Respect oneself first".
Not allowing to question the exisiting values and virtues is no doubt uncalled for.
Use your own discretion and express yourself albeit DONOT EVER LOOSE YOUR HUMBLENESS AND CANDIDNESS.
Thank you kaka! Absolutely!! So well written!
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