I decided to take out my time to find many definitions of respect and it said, respect is defined as a regard for or appreciation of the worth or value of someone or something. In my opinion, respect goes far beyond this definition. Respect is the cornerstone of the society in which we live in on day to day bases. Although many look at respect as simply treating another person or something with kindness, this word has many different aspects and values behind it and is portrayed differently upon the person. For instance, I would not give an elder the same type of respect that I would give my peers or myself. Respect is not considered a necessity in this world but, I can’t imagine a person getting very far in life without this virtue. Self-respect is probably the most important value for a person. It is said that in order to earn the respect of others, a person needs to learn to treat oneself with respect. I think that self-respect has a lot to do with one’s self-esteem. Self-esteem is an opinion of one’s own worth. For example, a girl that sleeps around will probably earn the reputation of a slut or a tramp. In reality, she is coping with the stresses of a low self-esteem. Sleeping with a number of men gives her a feeling of being wanted and loved. In the long run, this will ruin her self-respect. I believe that a person’s self-respect will determine the amount of respect that they give and receive from others. Disrespect, however, has exactly the opposite effect. For example if a leader of some type disrespects his peers, he fails to earn their respect and therefore fails to create devotion to the team. His attitude will be noticed and will become detrimental to morale, which in turn will hurt the effectiveness of each peer as well as the whole. Because he cannot respect his peers, he will also fail to recognize the best of their respective abilities.