Respect isn’t something you can demand or force people to give you.
You can’t walk around telling people “respect me!” and expect it to work.
Nah.
And respect isn’t about having some impressive title or even being wealthy.
The behaviors that make people respect you are surprisingly simple.
So simple that most people overlook them because they’re looking for something more complicated.
Even the Bible says God made humans simple, but we’ve made ourselves so complicated.
If you want to command more respect from anyone, check out these stupid simple behaviours:
Five Stupid Simple Behaviours That Make People Respect You More
1. Not Being Available All the Time
My life keeps getting busier by the day.
I’m not only a mom, I’m a wife, an employer, a daughter, friend to some, I write songs and record in the studio, I have responsibilities in church.
Like I’m a whole lot of things!
Am I complaining? No.
My life is busy because I have things to do, and I’m grateful for all of it.
Being busy makes me not available to everyone all the time, and people respect me more now than when I used to drop everything for everyone.
I used to think being available 24/7 made me someone people could count on, but unfortunately, people started taking my time for granted.
And I even felt drained because I was always available to everyone else.
Then I noticed something about people I respected, which is that they weren’t always available, and nobody held it against them.
They’d return calls when they were free and respond to messages on their own schedule.
And people respected their time because they respected their own time first.
Now, I value my time even more than money.
Because honestly, my life is very busy, I don’t have time to waste.
So I’m no longer available all the time, and guess what?
People didn’t stop respecting me.
They respected me more.
When I said yes to helping, they knew it was genuine, not just because I couldn’t say no.
Being constantly available doesn’t make you valuable.
It makes you taken for granted.
People will respect you more when you show them that your time has value.
2. Admitting When You’re Wrong
Everyone has an ego, not just men.
It takes great humility to admit when you’re wrong, and most people would rather die than say those three words: “I was wrong.”
Even though you think people will respect you for defending yourself and trying to prove that you’re right when you’re wrong, you’re very wrong.
People respect you more when you can admit your mistakes, not less.
Because admitting you’re wrong shows maturity, humility, and confidence.
Only secure people can say “I was wrong” without it threatening their entire sense of self.
Insecure people can never be wrong because their ego can’t handle it, but confident people can own their mistakes because they know one mistake doesn’t define them.
3. Doing What You Said You’d Do
They say talk is cheap.
Yeah, but if you want to be respected, your word needs to mean something.
If you say you’re going to be somewhere at a particular time, be there.
If you promise to do something, do it.
Yes, you’re not God, sometimes you’ll fail to deliver, but it shouldn’t be all the time.
You shouldn’t have a pattern of not keeping to your words; that will only earn you distrust, not respect.
And the few times that you can’t keep to your words, communicate, update people instead of ghosting them or thinking it’s no big deal.
It is a big deal, I tell you.
I can’t deal with people who can’t keep to their words.
It shows they’re not reliable or trustworthy.
I try as much as possible to keep to my words, and I expect the same from others.
If that’s not the case, we can’t work.
4. Not Talking Too Much
I’m not saying you should become a quiet, reserved person if that’s not who you are naturally.
But there’s a difference between being expressive and talking so much that people can’t get a word in.
I’ve never seen someone who talks too much that’s respected by others.
It’s either that people avoid them or don’t rate their words.
They talk so much that their words aren’t considered valuable.
When you talk less and listen more, people care more about what you do say.
Your words carry more weight because you’re not constantly talking just to fill the silence or hear your own voice.
If you want people to respect you, learn when to speak and when to be quiet.
Make people feel heard.
Listen with the intent to understand, not just to respond.
You have two ears and one mouth for a reason.
Use them in that proportion.
5. Look Good
“Oh, not again!” you’re probably thinking.
What has looking good got to do with being respected?
Isn’t that shallow?
People should care more about what’s inside, you know, the real character.
Oh well, I understand your sentiments, but we live in a superficial world.
It’s God who looks at the heart, but people see what’s on the outside first.
I’m not saying you need to wear designer clothes or look like you just stepped off a magazine cover.
But take care of your appearance, present yourself well.
Show that you respect yourself enough to look put together.
Whether we like it or not, people make assumptions based on how you look within the first few seconds of meeting you.
Fair? Maybe not.
But it’s reality.
And I’m not talking about being fashionable or trendy.
I mean basic grooming and presentation that shouldn’t cost you much.
Clean clothes that fit properly, good hygiene, hair that’s combed, shoes that aren’t falling apart, you know, just looking like you made an effort.
You can be the most brilliant, kind, talented person in the room, but if you look like you don’t care about yourself, people will struggle to take you seriously.
Looking good shows discipline, self-respect, and consideration for others.
When you look like you respect yourself, other people respect you too.
I’m rooting for you!