Respect for Others

Author: Padre Alejandro Cortés González-Báez  

 

 

Every day we have evidence of how people feel entitled to park in parking spaces reserved for the handicapped, perhaps because they think that their own their moral handicap allows them to share these same spaces.
We have a long way to go before all of us acknowledge that consideration is a civil virtue which pertains to all of us. There are many civil virtues and these allow us to live in the true fashion of humans. Some of these virtues are tolerance, common cause, cooperation, politeness, courtesy. All of these are based in the belief of human dignity and all are manifested in respect for others. This theme is more important that it might seem at first glance. I would dare say that the principal defect of modern life is a lack of respect for others.
Just this week I learned from the World Health Organization that mental illness is now the number one sickness and pathology of our times, and neurosis is first among these. It shouldn't surprise how this affects our living together, but neurosis is not the sole contributor to our social deterioration.
The Roman philosopher Seneca said that being in control of oneself is the greatest of all imperatives. We should not forget that the lack of self-control is not always due to pathological reasons, but rather more often to bad manners and selfishness.
The increase in lack of respects for teachers - and the accompanying increase in depression of educators - is made worse by parents who prefer to support and coddle their children, and therefore diminish the authority of the teachers. Added to this are spouses unable to teach repect to their children when they are screaming insults at each other in front of their children.
Yet we see in times of major catastrophes the awakening of a positive energy and force to help victims. In fact we overcome all sorts of differences in cultures and obstacles such as distance and logistics. Our difficulty seems to be in finding this praiseworthy behavior in our daily lives with the people who surround us, without waiting for a catastrophe.
Finding value in others and in ourselves is the key to healthy living together in society. We cannot demand courtesy and respect for ourselves if we don't allocate it to others.
Viktor Frankl in Man's Search for Meaning tells the story of a Jewish inmate at Auschwitz, who despite his destroyed state is still able to look at a sunset and say: "Look at how beautiful the world can be!"
It can be, If we learn how to respect others as well as ourselves.