When I was younger, I would sometimes feel disrespected, and even looked down upon by my peers. To me, this seemed unfair and unnecessarily rude, and I desperately wanted them to change their perspective on me. However, they didn’t for very long time, and although I thought I didn’t understand why at the time, I’m sure my subconscious mind knew all along.
I slouched when I walked. Every time I talked to someone, I stuttered out of nervousness and anxiety. I ate very little because I wanted to reach a certain weight, thinking that doing so would make me happy. I let people treat me terribly, never standing up for myself. I desperately attached myself to anyone who would talk to me, thinking that they were the only people that would ever spend time with me. Ironically, this made them annoyed of my desperate nature.
Basically, I had almost no self-respect. The way I treated myself was a reflection of how much I thought I was worth. Other people saw that I had no worth in myself, and therefore, treated me like so.
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It was only years later that I began to look into the issues that were causing my problems, and by doing so, I developed more self-respect. I became more confident and more assertive in the way I talked. I began standing up for myself, and only allowed people in my life who truly deserved it. I began acting, in a non-arrogant way like I was worthy of respect and over time, people began treating my like I was.
The famous Confucius once said, “Respect yourself, and others will respect you”, and this has not only proven to be true, but also logically makes a lot of sense. If you act like a million bucks, then people will treat you like you are.
If you do not feel respected by those around you, then maybe it’s time to take a look at yourself, and the way you behave around others. Are you acting in a way that encourages others to respect you? If not, then it could be time to develop some self respect.