r.e.s.p.e.c.t.

so... how do i respect someone? well, as much as it may seem a yes or no issue, it isn't. well, not for me in any case. there is a minimum level of respect that i give a priori to someone. for the sheer fact that they exist. a way of acknowledging their existence. things like saying hi and not stepping on their feet as if they weren't there. a respect generally due to every man (as in person, not male).

then there's the respect for a certain thing. a trait like intelligence, kindness, perseverance or an achievement of sorts. i can disagree with one thing and respect another about a person. and then there's the respect for someone as a Man with a capital M (again, as in person, not male). for everything they do, they are, they stand for. and that's of course the hardest to get.

now, the weird thing is... the basic level... it's darn easy to lose, from my point of view. it has happened quite a few times lately. i still answer to hi's and questions asked, though in a rather cold and to-the-point way. and that's about it. otherwise i ignore the person's existence, except maybe the occasional annoyance. but they're not worth a dime in my eyes... and neither is anything they say or do. they may be the kindest, most intelligent, most persevering, achieving person i know... it's nothing without that basic respect. because that person has become a sub-human to me. and it seems so easy these days to fall out of the homo sapiens species...