How do you show mutual respect?

It’s easy to have mutual respect with someone that agrees with you or you agree with; the challenge is to respect someone with opposing viewpoints.

One of the dangers of not having mutual respect is that you’re not open to hearing viewpoints contradicting your thoughts. Respecting an individual’s right to voice their opinions and thoughts without pre-judging them is the only way to move a conversation or idea forward.

Allowing yourself to have mutual respect for someone you disagree with says more about you than the other person. When you can be open to new ideas without rushing to defend your existing position, it displays a high level of self-confidence. Not confidence in a hubristic fashion, but rather a comfort with who you are and courage to engage other people’s ideas.

It’s been said that respect is not just the absence of negative behavior, but the presence of positive behaviors. This means taking an active stance to being curious, engaging, and open to others, the position that their input is worthy of your consideration.

Mutual respect can be difficult to cultivate because it can feel threatening. When someone has an opposing opinion, it’s natural to feel as though you’re being attacked, and in some ways you are. Your ideas and thoughts are being challenged and since they are directly tied to your identity, you protect yourself.

But if you can learn to be vulnerable just for a moment -not surrender – but see the other person as you want them to see you, then you have taken the first step towards mutual respect. Now there’s an opening, an opportunity to engage in new conversations, ideas and issues.

If we don’t develop and practice mutual respect, we are ultimately destined for mutual destruction.

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