About Self Respect

    Think of someone you have great respect for, and someone that you don't respect. Now define "respect" out loud, as to a teen. Do you agree that respect comes from [ what a person believes + personality traits + how s/he behaves in various situations ]?

    What traits earn your respect - Honesty? Courage? Compassion? Love? Gen-erosity? Kindness? Intelligence? Creativity? Persistence? Diligence? Fairness? Unselfishness? Faith? Strength? Humor? Patience? Decisiveness? Tolerance? Sensitivity? How many of these does your "most respected" person have? How many do you have?

    If you don't feel self-respect, what do you feel? Shame? Disgust? Dislike? In-difference? Pity? Self criticism? What did the adults who raised you model about self respect? Was it a healthy asset or a sign of self-centeredness and egotism? Were you taught that personal pride was respectable, or "a sin"? Many survivors of low-nurturance childhoods struggle with excessive shame.

    self-improvement Lesson 1 in this nonprofit, ad-free site focuses on turning shame into hu-mility + self-respect + self-love. That often entails "retraining' a vocal Inner Critc and Perfectionist to be more moderate, and a Shamed Child to let go of some old toxic beliefs. Do you feel people can intentionally raise their self-respect? Have you known anyone who has done so? Can you?            more detail