I find today that in society, respect is found far less often than in the past. The respect that I am referring to is respect for the position and views of others in society. Respect in its entire application has declined, and it cannot be narrowed to one application. In my opinion, respect is vital in any functioning society. It is the backbone of a structured society because it is itself a social norm. However, it is a norm that is beneficial because it allows for society to act in an ordered way. This, as a result, decreases the likelihood of conflict to emerge. At the most fundamental level, I see the decrease in respect present in society to be part of the reason for conflict occurring.
If you live in America, almost every day you will witness people disagreeing about the current political issues our nation faces. These discussions are important and valuable; however, most of the time you will simply hear the blame game between Republicans and Democrats. Automatically, on both sides, the other person is labeled a certain name based on their beliefs. However, this is the single worst thing that could be happening. No one is going to want to discuss issues or their opinions with others if they know that the other person does not respect their right to have a differing opinion. It is okay to not see eye to eye on an issue, but what is not okay is to automatically view another individual as “less than” or in a different light just because they do not agree with you. The other side is not the enemy, and when you do not respect others as your fellow citizens, then you are contributing to the decline of society. Just look at the current political system today.
Respect has also declined in regards to individuals respecting others in clearly defined positions that they interact with every day. Many adults claim that the younger generation has no respect for adults. I would say that this particular claim, while not universally applicable, is nonetheless a strong and fair claim to be made. Children nowadays think that because they are alive they have the right to say whatever they want whenever they want. In my opinion, this simply creates a world for those particular children who partake in this type of behavior of entitlement. Rather than recognizing that society has created a system where those who are younger should listen to those who have more experience, many kids nowadays automatically believe that they are right. They feel free to contradict things they do not like or want to hear simply because they know that they can because society will not enforce rules to condemn it.
Disrespect also works both ways. Adults also are guilty of not respecting those younger than themselves. I cannot tell you the number of times I have had adults do and say whatever they want simply because of the fact that I am a sophomore in college and not their age. Many adults claim children are too coddled today, which may be true, but if a great majority of adults participate in a system that devalues the opinions and voices of others simply because they are young, then they are further perpetuating the problem. If you look back just two generations prior to today, college-aged sophomores would have most likely already been married and possibly would have already had children. Yet, many adults I interact with cannot acknowledge the fact that I am an adult and think that they can do and say whatever they please, all while at the same time demanding respect from me. Yet they get angry when I, along with others, ask for that same respect.
It does not matter who you are or where you come from, respecting others is important. You cannot blame society for crumbling while participating in the destruction hands on. Self-accountability is necessary, but so is enforcement. If we all as a society do not call out those who do not respect others, then those who are disrespectful will continue to be disrespectful.