for tomorrow

At some level, almost everyone values being respected, but what does that actually mean? Respect is a complicated idea, and I don’t think the dictionary definition of “deep admiration” does it much justice.  Respecting someone is positively acknowledging something that they have done, and continue to do. You can respect your boss for being dedicated to his work, just as you can respect your friends for being there for you. But the core idea here is that this respect is earned, not taken for granted. And this is the most clear when talking about self-respect. In my experience, the person whose respect it is the hardest to earn is your own. This is not to say most people don’t respect themselves— we inherently have to, otherwise life would be pretty miserable. But the problem is that in earning that respect, it's really easy to lie to ourselves. Now, this complacency is obviously good at times, like I said, we have to live with ourselves. But it can go too far when we start needing ...