To Respect is to admire deeply
Respect also means to have due regard to someone's feelings, views, wishes or rights.
Each issue of this newsletter is guided by the roll of the dice in Gyan Chaupar. Last week, we rolled to Lust, and this week, we slide down the snake to Respect.
Lust is often an intense, fleeting desire, driven by surface-level attraction. It fades quickly, especially when flaws are revealed. Respect, on the other hand, is deeper and more enduring. It’s about valuing someone’s true qualities; their efforts, values, and what they stand for. When we cultivate respect, lust naturally dissolves, as we shift our focus from superficial desires to genuine understanding and admiration.
Respect can be influenced by social conditioning — how we’ve been taught to view people or behaviours. But true respect comes from within, built on humility and self-reflection. It requires us to approach others with curiosity, observing their unique abilities, qualities, and achievements. It’s also about having regard for their feelings, wishes, and rights, even when we may not fully agree with them.
Earning respect, however, is a different challenge. It takes diligence, persistence, and a commitment to doing meaningful work. People gain respect by striving to do their best and making a positive impact, even if they don’t master everything. To earn respect from others, we must cultivate qualities and achieve things worth admiring, but it also requires humility — acknowledging our own flaws while recognising the strengths of others.
True respect involves recognising the qualities we aspire to develop within ourselves. By observing others, we understand what they excel at and what they might struggle with. This creates an opportunity to learn and grow, both as individuals and in relationships. Respect dissolves lust by shifting our focus from obsession or possession to genuine appreciation. What begins as superficial attraction can evolve into admiration for deeper qualities such as kindness, resilience, or integrity.
Respect offers a way to build lasting connections with others and ourselves.
As usual, below are our 4 thoughts and 2 questions about Respect.
4 thoughts on respect
From Tom
True respect is offered to all beings, not just those who we like or agree with.
From Roy T. Bennett
Make improvements, not excuses. Seek respect, not attention.
From Maya Angelou
If we lose our love and self-respect and respect for each other, this is how we will finally die.
From Vineeta
Respect comes from true humility, without it, we cannot truly respect others.
2 questions about lust
What inspires your respect?
How can we cultivate qualities that earn respect of ourself?
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Much love
Tom and Vineeta
If you’re curious about the game of Gyan Chaupar, find out more and get hold of one of our limited first edition game boards at www.gyanchaupar.co.uk