R-e-s-p-e-c-t

[a space oddity]

I voted Level of Education, but I was surprised to see it was by far the leading option.

I'm not surprised, it is the only option that indicates that the person has spend time and effort to achieve it and it hints of intellectual prowess.

Wealth for instance could be earned by working hard but also by winning the lottery or through inheretance...

 

[MobBoss]

Some of the most wise people I have ever known in my life never went to college.....and some of the worst idiots I have ever worked with did.

Personally, the poll option is missing that I would choose. I respect a persons deeds/actions as opposed to any of that listed. If they 'walk the walk' in addition to 'talk the talk' then thats worthy of respect.

 

[a space oddity]

True, that's why I didn't vote in the poll. My choice is one of the two added in the OP.

 

[LuckyAC]

I didn't say "only".

Either way, I don't buy it. I'm sure you can find exceptions, but from what I've seen from people both in real life and on this forum, I have every reason to be cynical about what criteria people use for determining "respect". In my experience, people respect people almost arbitrarily, and then rationalise it after they've decided that they respect them. Can't prove it, but hey, it's one of those things that isn't going to be argued conclusively either way

The poll asked for the primary criterion for respect. We're talking about intelligence. The implicit assumption, when I say respect, therefore, is that I am talking about respect for people's "intelligence", or at least what people claim to be respect for intelligence.

This poll is about our reasons to respect someone, in general. You are restricting the "allowable" reasons to respect people to only intelligence, and then saying intelligence isn't a reason for respect. At least you follow your own logic, and admit that that would mean our decisions are purely arbitrary. That's pretty silly, though. Even the most cynical view will admit our decisions are based on reasons, even if sometimes bad ones.

If you are changing the subject to a narrower one of how we judge intelligence, well, you're not making any more sense. If I come into a room, and in one corner a Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry is discoursing fluently on quantum physics, while, in the other, someone who flunked out of high school is mumbling monosyllabically and ungrammatically about his love of playing Russian roulette, I don't flip a coin to decide who I think is smarter. My evaluation of your intelligence may be biased low, since you disagree with me, but I can still judge you higher than a native English speaker who can't type understandably. If I knew you better, I could refine my view based on your speech patterns, education level, job, achievements, SAT scores, whatever. Certainly none of those have a 1 to 1 correlation, but they all do have a positive correlation, and they are far better than random.

I actually think it's a fair decision for the poll that education is included instead of intelligence, since there is no way to measure intelligence, really, so we are not really deciding directly based on that. We can measure education, even if we use it only to judge intelligence. Of course, some measure of achievement is probably most important, but maybe that wasn't included because he thought it would be TOO obvious a choice, making the poll useless.

 

[jeps]

Behavior. ethics too, but mainly this. the rest are all...labels.

 

[Azash]

Some of the most wise people I have ever known in my life never went to college.....and some of the worst idiots I have ever worked with did.

Personally, the poll option is missing that I would choose. I respect a persons deeds/actions as opposed to any of that listed. If they 'walk the walk' in addition to 'talk the talk' then thats worthy of respect.

Do you respect a certain kind of action, or do you respect someone who simply acts determinedly?

 

[Mise]

This poll is about our reasons to respect someone, in general.

I was talking about a "small" part of the poll: the 67% of voters (at the time) that voted for "level of education". What were you talking about?

You are restricting the "allowable" reasons

I'm not "restricting" anything, other than the scope of my discussion.

to respect people to only intelligence, and then saying intelligence isn't a reason for respect.

No I'm not . I didn't comment at all on whether intelligence was a valid reason for respect, if that's what you mean. I didn't say that intelligence wasn't a reason why someone respects someone else, either. I said that (a) if we define intelligence to be some objective, "true" measure, then people don't use this definition, but rather their own perception of intelligence, and (b) people tend to respect someone first, and then decide on a reason for that respect later, (probably) subconsciously. I also said that the conclusion of (a) and (b) is that people tend to respect someone first, and then, when deciding a reason for that respect, tend to come to the conclusion that it is because of intelligence, because, as you say, intelligence is a highly desirable quality.

Which part of that are you disagreeing with?

At least you follow your own logic, and admit that that would mean our decisions are purely arbitrary. That's pretty silly, though. Even the most cynical view will admit our decisions are based on reasons, even if sometimes bad ones.

I didn't say that all decisions are not based on reasons. I didn't even say that the specific decision of "respect" wasn't based on reasons. I said that respect was not based on intelligence, but on some other reason, in general. The underlying reasons themselves are arbitrary, though.

If you are changing the subject to a narrower one of how we judge intelligence

Not really. I think the fact that there is more than one way of judging intelligence is proof enough that my assertion in (a) above is true.

 

[MobBoss]

Do you respect a certain kind of action, or do you respect someone who simply acts determinedly?

Determination can have both good and bad qualities. I would respect someone determined to work hard and make a good career...but I wouldnt respect someone determined to destroy their life on booze and drugs.

 

[Azash]

Determination can have both good and bad qualities. I would respect someone determined to work hard and make a good career...but I wouldnt respect someone determined to destroy their life on booze and drugs.

Then again, destroying your life on booze and drugs is typically because of ignorance and/or apathy, rather than determination to do so.

(Excellent choice of user title, by the way )

 

[LucyDuke]

Then again, destroying your life on booze and drugs is typically because of ignorance and/or apathy, rather than determination to do so.

Maybe it's unusual, but it's certainly not unheard of.

 

[AAHZ]

you hafta EARN my respect...
piece

 

[pboily]

why only a piece of your respect?

 

[AAHZ]

why only a piece of your respect?

because respect is not something i have been given lightly in my life. Respect is something that ive strived for, fought for, and enjoyed when ive gotten it. i am STILL trying to earn respect of people ive known for years, because of other situations that have occured. so respect is indeed something that you earn slowly, and...
piece by piece

 

[Bozo Erectus]

But remember AAHZ, the only respect thats worth anything is self respect...[/7th Heaven Dad]

 

[Civrules]

As someone else said, a positive attitude toward life. And not taking everything so seriously.

These people are the happiest in life.