Respect is one of the quiet foundations of a meaningful life. It honors dignity, deepens relationships, and reminds us that how we treat others reveals who we are. As Cary Grant said, “Probably no greater honor can come to any man than the respect of his colleagues.”

I had to fight hard against loneliness, abuse, and the knowledge that any mistakes I made would be magnified because I was the only black man out there... I never cared about acceptance as much as I cared about respect. ~ Jackie Robinson

There exist only three beings worthy of respect: the priest, the soldier, the poet. To know, to kill, to create. ~ Charles Baudelaire

Play for your own self-respect and the respect of your teammates. ~ Dan McGugin

Respect children because they’re human beings and they deserve respect, and they’ll grow up to be better people. ~ Benjamin Spock

Politicians, ugly buildings, and whores all get respectable if they last long enough. ~ Robert Towne

My peers accept me and respect me, and that’s enough. ~ Neil Diamond

Love and respect are the most important aspects of parenting, and of all relationships. ~ Jodie Foster

Let every man make known what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step towards obtaining it. ~ Henry David Thoreau

It is not sufficient to be worthy of respect in order to be respected. ~ Alfred Nobel

If one doesn’t respect oneself, one can have neither love nor respect for others. ~ Ayn Rand

Respect a man, and he will do all the more. ~ John Wooden

If human civilization is going to invade the waters of the earth, then let it be first of all to carry a message of respect. ~ Jacques Cousteau

In order to acquire a growing and lasting respect in society, it is a good thing, if you possess great talent, to give, early in your youth, a very hard kick to the right shin of the society that you love. After that, be a snob. ~ Salvador Dalí

Be respectful to others as you grow... If we lack respect for one group, then there is a tendency for that attitude to spread. It becomes infectious, and no one becomes safe from the ravages of prejudice. ~ Walter Annenberg