Respect.

Fredrick Douglas must have had a deeper value of many things we take for granted as he overcame a situation where he had nothing. He valued his freedom and his ability to read and write, something that almost everyone has nowadays. But I am sure that none of us value this as much as he did. I value respect. Without respect for others we would still have slavery. Nobody would read if they didn't respect others writing. Respect is necessary for humans to interact with each other and understand each other. Respecting everyone and everything to a certain degree is essential for someone to be a good person.

In Pakistan, respect is a huge part of the culture. We are told from a very young age to be courteous and respectful to everyone. We are told to always help others. For example, when you visit a family members house, the children are expected to set up the table without being asked. But I don't just value respect because it is part of my culture and I was raised to believe it. Throughout my life I have seen that being respectful is the best way to conduct yourself. A feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements. That is the definition of respect. All the items listed in this definition are things people want. Being respected is important to most people, and one way to achieve that is to respect others.

Respect is not just important in Pakistani culture. It is also a big part of western and international culture, and for good reason. Respect is an essential pillar in society. It applies to the golden rule, "treat others how you would want to be treated." I highly value respect. They say that one's lack of respect for others means a lack of respect for ones self. Everyone wants to be respected. One of the reasons for this may be the fact that one cannot simply just be respected, they have to earn it. So giving people respect and earning it are very important values to me, and I think they should be for other people too.

The ideas in this post are embodied in this essay on respect.