Respect

Quality of the month for September

The dictionary definitions tell us that respect has a two-fold meaning: "the act of holding in high estimation, deference or honor" – and "a state of being held in honor or esteem."

The PCC Resources Work Team explained respect this way: "The people who show respect acknowledge by word and deed the worth of themselves, others, and the environment."

When asked, What does it mean for you to be a respectful person? one PCC member answered this way: "It means treating other people and all living things as I want to be treated in return." Another said: "For me to be a respectful person means listening appreciatively to the suggestions and recommendations – and silences – of the people who work with me."

A Worthington high school teacher recently wrote this about one of her students:

"I have known S. for two years and have seen her interact with hundreds of people. She has consistently treated others with respect. I observed her in my class treating her classmates with kindness and consideration. S. is always very supportive of her peers and is an excellent role model for them regarding treatment of others." Here is what a neighbor said about another high school student: "E. displays respect for herself, family, friends, children and community in numerous ways. She puts forth an extra effort to do kind things for others, and takes her responsibilities and commitments, no matter how big or small, very seriously. Because E. shows such a great respect for the world she lives in, one can't help but respect her a great deal in return."

The subject of respect has received much thoughtful consideration over the years:

	The Koran:		"O men, respect the women who have borne you."
	Confucius:		"The good man does not grieve that other people do not recognize his merits. His only anxiety is lest he should fail to recognize theirs."
	The Psalmist:		"What is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou dost care for him? Yet thou has made him little less than God, and dost crown him with glory and honor."
	Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe:		"If you treat an individual. . .as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become what he ought to be and could be."
	Ralph Waldo Emerson:		"Respect the child. Be not too much his parent. Trespass not on his solitude."
	Pablo Casals:		"Each second we live in a new and unique moment of the universe, a moment that will never be again. And what do we teach our children? We teach them two and two make four, and that Paris is the capital of France. When will we also teach them what they are? We should say to each of them: Do you know who you are? You are a marvel. You are unique. In all the years that have passed, there has never been another child like you. Your legs, your arms, your clever fingers, the way you move. You may become a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven. You have the capacity for anything. Yes, you are a marvel. And when you grow up, can you harm another who is, like you, a marvel? You must work – we must all work – to make the world worthy of its children."
	Roger Staubach:		"My wife and I have five children. To have their respect is the ultimate hall of fame. They see it all. They see how you treat each other. Getting and keeping their respect is what really matters. The question we must continually ask ourselves is, 'How do we get to where we want to go and still remain a hero to those we love?'"
	Sam Walton:		"Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it's amazing what they can accomplish."

What does it mean for you to be a respectful person? What does it mean for your family to be a respectful family? For your institution to be a respectful one? For your community to be a respectful community?