Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Give respect
• Method 2 of 3: Be reliable
• Method 3 of 3: Be confident
• Warnings

We all want to be respected by those around us, but it takes a lot of work to earn it. If you want to be successful, happy, and healthy, then earning the respect of others is an important goal in your life, and something you can work towards achieving. By learning to respect, act and think with confidence, and behave in a trustworthy manner, you will get the respect you deserve before you know it.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Give respect

1. Be sincere. If people notice that you speak from your heart and that you believe in what you do, say and what your beliefs are, and support them, then you present yourself as a respectable person. Learn to cultivate sincerity among friends, at work, at school, and in all aspects of your life.
   • When you are among people, behave in the same way as you would alone or with other groups. We've all experienced the social pressure to behave in a certain way, or seen a friend huddle in for a successful business contact that you were just giving up in a private conversation just before. Be consistent in your personality no matter who is around.
2. Listen and learn. Many people wait until they can say something during a conversation, instead of listening to what the other person has to say. This can send an unpleasantly self-centered signal. We all have something we want to say, but learning to be a good listener will eventually make people more interested in what you have to say. If you want to earn the respect of the people you talk to, learn to listen actively and cultivate a reputation as a good listener.
   • Ask lots of questions. Even when talking to someone you know well, learn as much as you can by asking questions, follow-up questions, and personal questions. People like to feel interesting when someone is listening to them. Taking a genuine interest in what other people have to say will earn you respect. After questions such as, "How many siblings do you have?" deeper digging questions that show your interest. For example, ask, "How are they?"
   • Follow up after a conversation. If someone recommends a book or album, send them a text message when you've read some chapters to let them know what you think.
3. Compliment someone else's work. If the actions, ideas, or points of view of a friend or colleague come across as particularly noteworthy, give a brief compliment. Some people are consumed with jealousy when someone is successful. If you want to earn respect, learn to recognize and praise something great.
   • Be honest when you compliment. Slouching by giving lavish compliments for something someone has accomplished will not earn you respect, but it can earn you a fawning reputation. When something has genuinely impressed you:
   • Try to compliment actions, deeds, and ideas rather than superficial things like possessions or looks. Better to say, "You have a sense of style," than "That's a nice dress."
4. Feel for others. Learning empathetic skills is an important way to respect others and be respected oneself. If you can anticipate someone's emotional needs, then you can be respected as a caring, considerate person with an eye for the needs of those around them.
   • Pay attention to people's body language. When people are upset or frustrated, they will not always be willing to clarify what. If you can learn to notice this, then you can adjust your own behavior appropriately.
   • Show that you are there to provide emotional support when needed, otherwise stay out of it. If your boyfriend has ended a troubled relationship, find out what he needs. Some people will want to let off some steam by talking about it endlessly and wallowing in the details, in which case you will lend a listening ear. Others will rather ignore the matter and handle it themselves. Then don't bother them. There is no single correct way to process grief.
5. Stay in touch. Everyone needs the help of someone else at some point, but it's also a sign of respect to stay in touch with your friends, colleagues and family members, even if you don't need anything from them.
   • Just call or text your friends to chat. Send funny links on Facebook or other social media just to let them know you're thinking about them.
   • Keep your family informed of your successes and failures, especially if you live in different places. Talk to your parents and let them know how you are at school or your feelings about your relationship. Allow people into your life.
   • Treat work friends like true friends. Don't just call them when you want to know what time you need to be next week, or to find out what you missed during the last meeting. Learn about their lives and treat them with respect to gain respect for themselves.

Method 2 of 3: Be reliable

1. Do what you say you will do. No one respects anyone who is considered half-hearted or untrustworthy. If you want to be respected, keep your commitments and promises you make or make to the people in your life. Call when you say you will call, hand in your assignments on time and stick to your word.
   • If there is a need to cancel or otherwise change plans you have made with someone, don't try to get into the habit of using white lies or making excuses to get out of something. If you said you'd go out for a drink on Friday night, but you'd rather curl up on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and the TV, it's OK to say, "I don't have that much want to go out tonight "and then make concrete plans for later in the week. Always try to give a wide margin.
2. Offer to help, even if you don't have to. When one of your friends moves, it may seem like the teacher just asked you to solve a quadratic equation on the board. Everyone looks at his or her desk. To be respected and considered trustworthy, you volunteer your talents and energy for projects that need help. Volunteer to do things that need to be done, not just things you think you can do well.
   • Alternatively, learn to step back and focus on the talents of others. If you are known as a trustworthy person, people may start asking you for all kinds of things, while talented people are hesitant to step forward. Invite them by asking them for help, or proposing them as potential candidates for the job. This will earn you respect on both sides.
3. Do more than is necessary. You can do the minimum required, or you can go the extra mile to make a task, assignment, or project perfect. Do the latter and you will earn respect.
   • If you finish a little faster and have extra time to spare, take advantage of it. Often we wait until the last minute to write a thesis or start a project, and we have to hurry to get everything done in too little time. Set virtual deadlines for yourself to be "done" sooner and then use the extra time you have earned to really polish and finish the job.
   • Even if you don't succeed in achieving your goals, if you have put all your ideas into action and gone all out, then at least you know that you did your best and put everything you could into that presentation or thesis, something for which you deserve respect.
4. Learn to anticipate the needs of others. If you know your roommate or partner has a terrible day ahead, clean the house and cook dinner, or have cocktails ready when he or she gets home. Taking the initiative to make someone's day a little easier will earn you a lot of respect.

Method 3 of 3: Be confident

1. Be humble. Putting your successes into perspective and maintaining an even perspective of the world will keep you happy, humble and earn the respect of other people. Let your actions speak for themselves and let people draw their own conclusions about your skills and talent. Don't advertise your own qualities, let others do this for you.
   • There is no need to brag about your qualities if you have been showing that you are great all the time.
2. Talk less. Everyone has an opinion about everything, but that doesn't mean you should always share it with everyone. Once in a while, sit back and let other people talk while you listen, especially if you tend to keep chatting. Take in the principles and offer your own if you feel you have something to add to the conversation. If you don't have that, keep still.
   • Sitting back and letting other people do the talking also helps you by giving them the opportunity to show some of themselves, giving you the opportunity to understand them and empathize with them.
   • If you are a withdrawn person, learn to speak up when you have something to add. Don't let your modesty and desire to be a cool stoic get in the way of sharing your point of view with others. People will not respect you for that.
3. Take responsibility for your actions. Just as you don't say one thing and do the other if you want to earn respect, you will need to be consistent in your actions. Finish what you started. We all mess up sometimes. When you do, recognize it and maintain the respect you have cultivated for yourself.
   • If you can fix something yourself, don't ask for help. Let a task for one person remain a task for one person, even if it gets a little difficult.
4. Be assertive. Nobody respects a doormat. If you don't want to do something, say so. If you have a different opinion and you know in your heart that you are right, say so. Being assertive in a polite, courteous, and respectful way will earn people's respect, even if you don't agree with them.
5. Respect yourself. There is a well-known saying: "Respect yourself and you will be respected". If you want to earn people's respect, you have to respect whatever you are first. You will have to judge yourself and feel good about the things that make you a better person. The shirt is closer than the skirt.

Warnings

• Respect disappears as easily as it comes. If you spend years gaining respect, don't mess it up by acting like a fool.