"Respect" as the Criminal Demands It versus Respect in the Responsible World

Most of us get it, respect is earned not granted unconditionally. Living in a place which has a lot of criminals my city went through a period where people were very concerned with whether they are being respected, disrespected, dissed, ignored and then what they were going to do about. It wasn't unusual to see someone go into a rage because of a perceived slight. Fortunately, the period where everyone was concerned about respect has come and gone, nobody seems too openly concerned about being dissed anymore.

But since we are on the subject of respect something concerns me. The current mantra in the intimate relationship world is that women want to be loved but men want to be respected. I shudder to think what these new male partner's version of "respect" is. I think it is much like the Dr. Samenow's definition of the criminal respect: power, control, and being a person with whom others must reckon. This demand of the intimate partner dynamic in essence forces women to submit to men so that men feel they are getting the "respect" they deserve. It's just a new load of bull.

When someone starts bellyaching about getting "respect" please take heed. It's a good time to run away.

@ Crimson. Yes, criminals are not the only ones that demand this kind of respect. Those with a narcissistic/bullying personality also demand it. I try to stay clear of anyone who just acts like they deserve their way or the highway.

Actually, respect should only be earned BACK. It should be given until it is lost, then and only then should "earning" it be required.