We don’t need to share the same opinions as others, but we need to be respectful. —Taylor Swift
Respect means taking into consideration the feelings, needs, thoughts, beliefs, wishes, boundaries, preferences, individual style and idosyncracies of the other. While this is a very big ask, it is critical to the health of a relationship. Much as we would like to, we cannot change the basic personality traits of the other. One of you may be an introverted homebody while the other a social butterfly. One of you is frugal, the other a spendthrift. One a neatnick, the other messy. Ultimately, what can you live with? We learn to compromise or navigate around the differences rather than fight the losing battle to change each other. Otherwise, lack of respect can lead to disdain and contempt, and we run the risk of destroying our relationship.