The role of respect in conversation and how to show it

Respect is one of the main components of friendship and partnership. If people respect each other’s personal boundaries, are sensitive to each other’s feelings and emotions, and are tactful in their communication, the likelihood of forming a warm and lasting relationship is very high. Respect should be shown in words and actions so that the partner understands the seriousness of his or her friend’s intentions.

What respect between partners is manifested in

Respectful treatment is first and foremost respect for personal boundaries:

• emotional, when partners respect each other’s feelings and emotions, without devaluing or ridiculing them, listening attentively to each other. It is also important to know what topics the partners are ready to discuss with each other, and what is too early to talk about or should not be talked about at all;
• The time when partners respect each other’s time: they are not late for meetings, agree on when it is more convenient to call or meet in person, so as not to disturb the partner and not to disrupt his plans for the day;
• physical, when there is a clear understanding of tactile contact: when it is possible to hug, at what distance both partners feel comfortable communicating with each other;
• property: the partners clearly know when it is acceptable to ask for material assistance (to borrow money, personal belongings, for how long, etc.);

It is desirable that personal boundaries are flexible, when a person clearly knows when it is important to respect certain limits and when it is possible to give in a little to the situation.

How to cultivate respect for yourself and your partner

To learn to respect yourself and your interlocutor, you need to learn to pay attention to the emotions and mood of others, as well as to recognize your own feelings and state of mind at the moment. It is not difficult to learn to respect yourself and others:

• try to monitor your mood and the slightest changes in it, ask yourself questions about why I got angry, upset, offended, what caused these emotions. As soon as you know yourself, you will be able to know the emotions of another person and find contact with them;
• When communicating with your interlocutor, maintain eye contact. Try to read the person’s mood and well-being, to understand whether he or she is ready for interaction, whether he or she needs to be alone with himself or herself at the moment;
• address the person by their first name in conversation: this builds trust and encourages further communication;
• If you want to touch on a certain topic or a personal issue, be sure to ask the person you are talking to if they are willing to open up to you – respect their personal boundaries;

Developing a respectful attitude toward yourself and others is a consistent work on yourself.

What is respect

Respect in interpersonal communication is shown in the following actions:

• you communicate politely with your interlocutor, do not allow yourself rudeness and vulgar expressions;
• you respect each other’s time: you come to meetings on time, you know at what time it is appropriate to write or call a person;
• you try to understand each other’s moods, not to touch on certain topics in conversation if it makes either of you uncomfortable;
• you respect physical boundaries: tactile contact in forms acceptable to both of you (hugs, touching), look each other in the eye when talking;

Respect for the interlocutor in correspondence

If you’re texting a new friend or acquaintance and haven’t met in person yet, it’s important to be respectful in the following ways:

• correspond at a time convenient for both of you, preferably agreed upon in advance;
• don’t flood a person with messages if he/she doesn’t reply – most likely, the person is busy at the moment and will reply to you as soon as possible;
• do not ask too personal questions in correspondence, it is advisable to stick to neutral topics: work, hobbies, travel, etc..;
• Don’t rush things: don’t insist if a new acquaintance is not yet ready for a face-to-face meeting or video call;

If you respect the new pen pal’s personal boundaries and are polite and correct, your new friend is more likely to want to actually meet you.

Where you can make friends

Today, the Internet offers many sites where you can meet new acquaintances, close in spirit and interests. On wedaf.com you can communicate with different people and find friends with whom you will be interested to communicate by correspondence and in real life. There is a filter so that you can find friends by age, geographical location, hobbies and other criteria.