If You Want To Earn People's Respect, Stop Doing These 12 Things

Why might a person not respect you?

A man with dark hair and sunglasses is pointing a finger at a woman with long brown hair and sunglasses. The woman, dressed in a red top, stands facing the man in front of a corrugated blue wall, looking down with a neutral expression.

People don’t have to like you to respect you. Respect is something you earn from others by demonstrating you are worthy of it. But certain behaviors will destroy any amount of respect others have for you. So, stop doing the following things if you want people to respect you.

1. Stop being negative.

A woman wearing glasses looks up with a neutral expression, standing in front of a blackboard with chalk drawings of clouds and rain above her head, suggesting a metaphor for thinking or feeling under the weather.

There’s already so much negativity in the world that many people just don’t pay attention to it anymore. Similarly, if you’re a negative person, people are going to pay you little mind because they already get enough of that elsewhere. Be a cheerleader. And if you can’t, just try not to be negative.

2. Stop being dishonest.

A person with shoulder-length brown hair is standing outside on green grass, wearing a white t-shirt and black skirt. They have their hand behind their back, fingers crossed.

No one respects liars and manipulators, not even other liars and manipulators. By default, liars and manipulators don’t get respect because respect can be weaponized as a tool of manipulation. Anyone with healthy boundaries is not going to tolerate that.

3. Stop blaming others for your mistakes.

A series of four identical men in blue suits and ties are shown in a vertical line, gradually decreasing in size from left to right. The largest, on the left, is being pointed at by a large hand from above. Each man points to the smaller figure next to him.

Everyone makes mistakes. Anyone who claims not to is actually making themselves look really bad because everyone else knows they’re lying. Not only does it mean you can’t take responsibility for your decisions, but it also broadcasts that you’re dishonest.

4. Stop interrupting others.

Two women sitting on a couch appear excited and surprised while watching something on TV. The woman on the left is smiling and gesturing with her hands, while the woman on the right is holding a remote control and has a wide-open mouth in amazement. Bookshelves and a plant are in the background.

Interrupting others is often seen as a disrespectful action because you’re telling that person that their opinion is not worthwhile. You’re not giving them a chance to be heard and considered like everyone else. Other people do hold that against you, particularly the ones being interrupted.

5. Stop being unreliable.

Two women are standing outside in conversation. The woman on the right, wearing a black and white striped top, has her eyes closed and hand raised as if making a point. The woman on the left, with dark hair, is facing away from the camera.

Reliability is an important trait because people want to know they can count on you. Of course, reliability comes with the caveat that you have healthy boundaries, otherwise people will take advantage of you. However, reliability is a positive trait to cultivate.

6. Stop taking credit for others’ work.

A man in a grey suit and tie, smiling, shakes hands with a woman in a dark blazer. They are standing in a modern office setting with large glass windows in the background. The man holds a piece of paper in his other hand.

No one likes to have their work undermined or stolen. Essentially, a person is deprived of the just reward for a job well done when someone takes credit for their work. That may be a material reward or even just a compliment that helped make all the work worthwhile.

7. Stop gossiping.

A close-up of two people sharing a secret. One person, who is out of focus, is whispering into the ear of the other, who has a serious expression and short hair, looking intently at the camera. The background is a soft, textured blue.

Gossiping is the quickest way to lose the respect and trust of everyone who is not a gossiper. Most people don’t want to be involved in drama. Furthermore, the people who don’t want to be involved see gossiping as a sign of poor integrity. No one wants to be talked about behind their back.

8. Stop being arrogant.

Man in sunglasses and a blue cap sits on a stool against a dark background. He wears a plaid shirt with blue denim accents and blue pants, casually resting one arm on his knee and the other on his hip.

Arrogance makes you hard to be around. No one wants to hear how great you are, nor do they want to be around someone who doesn’t listen. Since arrogant people think they are better than everyone else, they don’t tend to take the words of others seriously. No one respects that.

9. Stop being a bad listener.

Two women sitting at a table in an outdoor cafe. One woman, with her hands on her face, looks bored or annoyed while the other, in a white shirt, is focused on her smartphone. They are in front of a red wall with a window and a closed door.

Other people won’t show genuine interest in you if you can’t show it to others. If they can’t show genuine interest in you, then they aren’t going to respect you or what you have to say. Take the time to really listen. Put down the phone, stop what you’re doing, look at them and listen.

10. Stop being close-minded.

A woman with blonde hair, wearing a white shirt and a beaded necklace, has her eyes closed and is grimacing. She is covering her ears with both index fingers. The background is a solid teal color.

A refusal to accept the experiences of other people causes them to believe that you don’t respect them or their opinions. Yes, a person’s life experiences are biased from their perspective. However, we all need to strive to learn from that, because all our lives are different.

11. Stop disrespecting boundaries.

A woman with long blonde hair stands outside an urban building, looking directly at the camera. She is wearing a tan coat over a blue-and-white pinstriped shirt and holds her hand out in front of her, with her palm open and facing the camera.

Everyone should have healthy boundaries. When a boundary is set, it’s there to protect oneself from outside forces that may otherwise disturb one’s peace. Respecting a boundary demonstrates respect and consideration for others which will typically result in them respecting you back.

12. Stop being disrespectful.

A woman with shoulder-length dark hair and glasses is leaning against a gray wall, holding a smartphone. She is wearing a light blue blouse and appears to be shouting into the phone, her mouth wide open in an expressive manner.

A major way to lose anyone’s respect is to act disrespectfully yourself. Treat other people with kindness and consideration. Yes, that can be hard to do sometimes. Sometimes people don’t seem worth it. However, other people will see how you act and you will garner or lose their respect based on those actions.