 It is interesting how everyone wants respect and yet gives so little to other people. If you want respect, respect other people and respect yourself. You really can go wrong with this approach. The trouble is that some people just don't abide by expected norms of social behavior. You have to figure out how to deal with such people. In this video, I am going to show you 13 ways you can earn respect. 1. Set clearly defined boundaries. No one respects anyone who takes anything and everything, even if the people who do things you don't like are your friends. Tell them you don't like it. Make it clear that you do not want it to happen again. When you don't draw these lines on time, people can really do stupid things. This is especially important when a relationship is just beginning. Once it has begun fully, if you attempt to draw the lines, that may not work because you have become too familiar with the person. If a person holds you affectionately and you are not interested in having a romantic relationship with the person, make it clear. Do not condone it because you don't want to hurt their feelings. It will do something much worse the next time. Draw the line. The funny thing is that, when you draw your line and insist on it, your friends actually start respecting and seeing you as a principled person. If you don't want people visiting you, let them know. If you don't like taking calls at night, let them know. Don't assume that they would be reasonable. What is reasonable to you may be very unreasonable to them. 2. Respect people's time. If you set a meeting with someone, keep to time. You don't know the person's other engagement. Keeping to time shows you respect their time. When you are always punctual, people also start respecting you as a very punctual and disciplined person. You don't want a reputation as a latecomer. If you keep to time too, you can get a lot of work done. Imagine of all the meetings you ever attended began exactly at the time it was scheduled. How much do you think could have been accomplished? 3. Be kind but not overly nice. It is good to be kind and polite, but it is not a good idea to be too nice. People who are too nice can sometimes be perceived by others as not being authentic. They will therefore not like you. The better balance is to be kind, but firm. Let them know they can come to you for advice, that you can be their pillar of support, but also let them know not to mess with you. You are ultimately who you allow yourself to become. If you want them to respect you, be approachable, but firm. 4. Learn to say no without feeling guilty. It may sound dumb to some people that may be wondering why on earth I included this. I added this because a lot of people do not know how to say no. This means that they are always doing a favor for people. They really do not want to have anything to do with it and feel guilty when they really can't help because they are occupied. You need to wake up. Your life is not meant for emotional slavery to other people. You have your own dreams, your personal aspirations and fun to do as well. You deserve a break. People will like to hang out with you if they know you like helping and can say no, but they won't respect you. They will not respect that you need time for you or that you have needs of your own. They will take advantage of your weakness, your inability to say no. Saying no when it really is not convenient for you to help will not, contrary to what you think, make people hate you. Instead, it will make them respect you for having the balls to say no when you can't help. Saying yes to everything can make you too committed and stressed out. You may end up doing a lousy job and the favors people have asked you. Saying no would have actually served the people who asked for the favors better. Value yourself. Do you value yourself enough? When dealing with people, how much you value yourself often subconsciously also lets the person know how to treat you. If you start asking someone you just met for favors, they'll likely to write you off even before getting to know you. If you try to make conversation and get to know the person, if the person is used to people asking them for favors, they might actually find you very interesting and start to respect you. Respect for oneself sometimes means not going with the girls if you can't afford it. They don't end up paying for you. If they do that often, they may not complain but they will not respect you. 6. Keep your word. If you have given your word, the matter should be settled. Nothing brings disrespect faster than a statement of confidence that turns out to be untrue. If you will not or cannot do it, don't say you would. In those types of situations, such statements are made in public and witnesses are present. This means that if you default on your oral statement, you may raise public humiliation and general disregard. People respect people who keep their word. It is not easy to do so. Those who consistently do are rare. 7. Quit apologizing all the time. If you have done something or said something you feel is right, let others feel is wrong. Let them be. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. You shouldn't apologize for yours. If you are not wrong, don't apologize all the time. If you always apologize, it can actually lead to disrespect. 8. Stand up for yourself and others. It is easy to stand for ourselves than to stand for others. Those who stand up for others are well respected. It takes an incredible amount of courage to pull it off. A great way to do this is by volunteering for causes you love. It can endure people to you and make them feel safe around you. 9. Keep your emotions in check. If you want people to respect you, keep your emotions in line. Don't yell at coworkers or your partner in a relationship. If you are always cool-headed, people will respect you a lot. It is easier to get angry and yell than to respond calmly and walk away from a conversation that serves no purpose. Keeping your emotion in check requires patience and practice. It is a very desirable trait in people. People like this are more likely to be promoted to managerial roles than those who are not. 10. Be quick to admit your mistakes. If you have made a mistake, acknowledge it. People generally dislike highly opinionated people who never admit they are wrong. If you are open-minded and listen to other people and apologize when you are wrong, they will gain the respect of others. People who never apologized are perceived as proud. 11. Treat others with respect. Respect is very reciprocal. If you treat others with respect, they will treat you with respect as well. One way to do this is to avoid getting involved in other people's businesses. You can be friends with them, but don't ever advise on their family affairs unless asked. Let people feel comfortable and do not volunteer information given to you to others without the informer's permission. 12. Act more than you speak. One way to earn a great reputation is to be a person of few words. People who talk a lot sell them actually take action, talk less and do more. When your speech is rare, when you do speak, people listen. 13. Be the best at what you do. The best way to earn respect really is to be the best at what you do. You cannot substitute it for anything else when you are great at something, even your enemies will respect you. Make out time to hone your skills. Be or yourself that much, practice a lot and try again when you fail. In time, you would create reputation. So strong people will come to see you as formidable. Respect is something everyone yearns for, but if you don't act in specific ways, people will not respect you. Try not getting too familiar with people that are not your close friends. It can lead to disrespect. Be the best at what you do, but don't shove it down people's throats.