Mother, Father, Teacher- thats the model of respect we've been taught to follow. From the time we were kids we've always been told to respect our elders. Not wrong. Atleast, not fully. Older people do deserve respect, for they are older than us...they have probably seen more of life than we have. They are wiser and hence we must try our best to respect what they tell us, and respect them.
But I think it is time we stop associating respect with age; and treat them as independent variables.
Can you blame me for not feeling the slightest feeling of respect for a teacher who is being unresonably cruel? Or a teacher who is so condascending that she/he constantly offends me? Or an old man who letches? Or an elderly woman who fights her way into the train, pulling other women's hair and yelling at everyone around her? Is such juvenile behaviour actually worth any respect?
Older people too behave in disrespectful ways. Wisdom does not necessarily manifest itself well in all older people. And just being young does not deny us the freedom to stand up for ourselves.
So the next time, an older person rolls her eyes, after doing something that does not deserve any respect, and says this-'Where is your respect? I'm older than you'...tell her that you give and take respect. It has nothing to do with being older or younger. I'll respect you if you respect me. Likewise, you only need to give me respect if I respect you.
Age does not really determine anything. Whether we are old or young, we are all human beings and have the right to be treated with respect.
