Respect is a major foundation of any relationship; it takes a long time to build but can disappear instantly. The fastest way for respect to diminish is to act in a way that ruins your integrity, just as the following 18 behaviors do.
Being dishonest
Trust is the first stepping stone in any relationship. Verywell Mind says that it creates the initial bond and a foundation upon which to build, and dishonesty will quickly ruin that. It’s difficult to get over someone lying to you, and dishonesty is a fast road to someone losing respect for you.
Withholding the truth
Just like lying, if you are withholding the truth, it’s considered to be dishonest behavior. Even if you’re not stating lies, withholding important information can be just as disrespectful. Respect is hard to rebuild when someone finds out that you haven’t told them something.
Being unreliable
Flaky people are so difficult to deal with. If you can’t honor commitments, you’re disrespecting yourself and other people. Saying you’re going to do something and not doing it will quickly cause people to lose respect for you, as unreliability is a huge turnoff.
Poor time management
When someone is constantly turning up late, it’s extremely irritating. It not only shows that you have poor time management skills but also that you don’t value their time. Continuously being late highlights that you don’t prioritize agreements you make with others and will give them a negative impression of you.
Interrupting others
Talking over people and constantly disrupting the conversation is one of the quickest ways people will lose respect for you. Interrupting is highly disrespectful to others and shows a heightened sense of self-importance. It disregards the views of others and makes them feel like their views don’t matter.
Cheating in relationships
The Western world is typically monogamous, and cheating is considered to be immoral. Not only will you lose the respect of your partner, but family, friends, and colleagues may also form opinions on your behavior too. Outrageously, Marriage.com shows that this doesn’t stop 25% of Americans from cheating on their spouse.
Constant complaining
We can’t always be positive, but when someone is constantly negative, it is very draining to receive. You’re difficult to be around when you’re constantly raining on the parade. People will quickly form a pessimistic perspective of you and lose any respect they once had.
Being judgmental
What we see of someone’s life is pretty surface-level, and without walking in their shoes, we shouldn’t judge them. However, being judgmental is a common personality trait. Being overly critical of another person shows that you’re not open-minded, and that’s a fast-track way to lose respect.
Gossiping about others
Everyone loves a little gossip, but actively spreading rumors and discussing the private matters of others is a big no-no. People who view you as a gossip will develop a highly negative opinion of you. If you’re gossiping about someone else, how can they trust you won’t gossip about them?
Being Arrogant
There is a fine line between confidence and arrogance, but one is attractive, and the other is a major turnoff. Boasting and showcasing an exaggerated sense of self-importance is extremely off-putting. Sometimes, it can also be a little disrespectful and show a lack of humility.
Having a lack of empathy
Empathy is an essential personality trait; when you lack it, it’s difficult to form connections with others. This is why it’s important to always consider another’s feelings, and ignoring those feelings is rude behavior. People will quickly lose respect for you.
Manipulating people
HelpGuide states that a healthy relationship involves both giving and taking. When you are manipulative and use people solely for your own gain, the relationship will likely not succeed. Whether the relationship is civil or romantic, manipulation is a highly toxic and unrespected behavior.
Not owning mistakes
Mistakes are a part of life; we all make them, and how we deal with them is important. If we own them and learn from them, they’re perfectly understandable. However, when you are in denial or try to pass the blame, people will quickly lose respect for you as you’re clearly not accountable.
Talking down to service staff
How people treat waiters and cashiers can tell you a surprising amount about their personality. Everyone should be treated with respect, but some people believe they are above those in the service industry. If you patronize or speak aggressively to anyone providing you with a service, any respect people give you will disappear.
Not respecting boundaries
There are boundaries set by society and individual boundaries, but disrespecting them is not a good personality trait. Whether the boundaries you cross are emotional or physical, the reaction to not respecting someone’s boundaries is that they will not respect you either.
Being easily offended
It’s fine to be a sensitive soul, but taking offense to everything people say to you is very annoying. If people feel like they have to walk on eggshells around you, they’ll find it difficult to maintain a relationship. Not having a backbone can quickly cause people to draw away from you.
Allowing others to disrespect you
Letting people walk all over you is pretty embarrassing and not a behavior that anyone views positively. This is why knowing your self-worth and standing your ground is important. It’s hard for people to respect you if you don’t, whereas standing up for yourself shows that you deserve respect.
Consistent procrastination
Finally, we’re all guilty of procrastinating from time to time, with Zippia finding that just 15.6% of people claim to never procrastinate. However, chronic procrastination can be a real issue. Especially in the workplace, procrastinating will slowly make people lose respect for you, as it shows you’re unproductive and unreliable.
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