--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Respect is essentially a yes to others…" description: "\"“Respect is essentially a yes to others, not to their demands, but rather to their basic humanity. In this sense, respect is indivisible. When we give ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b97/william-ury-16849_respect_respect-is-essentially-a-yes-to-others-n_2982818.jpg" --- # Respect is essentially a yes to others, not to their… ![“Respect is essentially a yes to others, not to their demands, but rather to their basic humanity. In this sense, respect is indivisible. When we give respect to others, we are honoring the very same humanity that exists in us. When we acknowledge the dignity of others, we are acknowledging our own…” quote by William Ury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b97/william-ury-16849_respect_respect-is-essentially-a-yes-to-others-n_2982818.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b97/william-ury-16849_respect_respect-is-essentially-a-yes-to-others-n_2982818.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b97/william-ury-16849_respect_respect-is-essentially-a-yes-to-others-n_2982818.jpg) > ““Respect is essentially a yes to others, not to their demands, but rather to their basic humanity. In this sense, respect is indivisible. When we give respect to others, we are honoring the very same humanity that exists in us. When we acknowledge the dignity of others, we are acknowledging our own dignity. We cannot truly respect others without respecting ourselves at the same time.”” [William Ury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ury/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Respect acknowledges shared humanity, linking how we treat others with how we view ourselves. **In simple terms:** Respect others to respect yourself. Key Takeaway Treat others with basic humanity. Themes respect humanity self‑esteem Mood empathetic calm Type ethical motivational When to use this quote - teamwork - conflict resolution - leadership training Key Concepts mutual dignity ethical interaction Questions to Reflect On - How does respecting others affect your self‑respect? - Can respect be conditional? A Different Perspective Respect can be misused as a tool for control. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Respect others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect-others/) [Without Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/without-respect/) ## Related quotes > [For people to respect you, you have to respect yourself, and respecting yourself means you respects others too, a true respects, its not seek…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaze-olamiday/for-people-to-respect-you-you-have-to-respect-yourself-and-respecting/) [Blaze Olamiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaze-olamiday/) > [I don't care how old you are, if you don't respect me, I'm not respecting you!2](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tinku-razoria/i-don-t-care-how-old-you-are-if-you-don-t-respect-me-i-m-not/) [Tinku Razoria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tinku-razoria/) > [Religion, by teaching man his relationship to God, gives the individual a sense of his own dignity and teaches him to respect himself by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/religion-by-teaching-man-his-relationship-to-god-gives-the-individual/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [Two people can only live as one when each is prepared to give and receive trust and understanding. Above that lies respect. Without respect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hollick/two-people-can-only-live-as-one-when-each-is-prepared-to-give-and/) [Helen Hollick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hollick/) > [There can be no love without respect. Respect means respecting and keeping in mind the other persons likes and dislikes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/there-can-be-no-love-without-respect-respect-means-respecting-and/) Senoraroy > [“It was a city in which the very old and the awkwardly new jostled each other, not uncomfortably, but without respect;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/it-was-a-city-in-which-the-very-old-and-the-awkwardly-new-jostled/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Without respect for the freedom of choice, peace is not possible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-ruiz-jr/without-respect-for-the-freedom-of-choice-peace-is-not-possible/) [Miguel Ruiz Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-ruiz-jr/) > [“That we shall, in like manner, without respect of persons endeavour the extirpation of Popery, Prelacy, (that is, church-government by Archbishops, Bishops, their Chancellors,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/various/that-we-shall-in-like-manner-without-respect-of-persons-endeavour-the/) Various > [Western society has accepted as unquestionable a technological imperative that is quite as arbitrary as the most primitive taboo: not merely the duty to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/western-society-has-accepted-as-unquestionable-a-technological/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [“-i was "far and away"-riding my motorcycle along an american back road, skiing through the snowy Quebec woods, or lying awake in a backwater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/i-was-far-and-away-riding-my-motorcycle-along-an-american-back-road/) [Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/) > [To be happy, you first must declare it with your mouth and then have the courage to express it without respect to useless negativities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/to-be-happy-you-first-must-declare-it-with-your-mouth-and-then-have/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [Care and responsibility are constituent elements of love, but without respect for and knowledge of the beloved person, love deteriorates into domination and possessiveness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/care-and-responsibility-are-constituent-elements-of-love-but-without/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [“Sometimes I have to act crazy to handle the crazies. Trying to be normal near the crazies makes me as crazy as them. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sacredfire/sometimes-i-have-to-act-crazy-to-handle-the-crazies-trying-to-be/) [Robin Sacredfire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sacredfire/) > [Not everyone can wait: neither the sated nor the satisfied nor those without respect can wait. The only ones who can wait are people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/not-everyone-can-wait-neither-the-sated-nor-the-satisfied-nor-those/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“If you've treated your girlfriend without respect, taken advantage of her, or cheated on her, your actions have taught her that she has no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-shipp/if-you-ve-treated-your-girlfriend-without-respect-taken-advantage-of/) Josh Shipp ## More by William Ury > [“How can we get what we really want and at the same time deal with the needs of others in our lives? 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In a problematic situation or relationship,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ury/yet-as-beneficial-as-it-can-be-giving-respect-is-often-a-difficult/) [William Ury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ury/) > [“My friend Donna even likes to give humorous names to her reactive emotions such as “Freddy Fear,” “Judge Judy,” and “Anger Annie.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ury/my-friend-donna-even-likes-to-give-humorous-names-to-her-reactive/) [William Ury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ury/) > [“We can make a strong unconditional commitment to ourselves to take care of our deepest needs, no matter what other people do or don’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ury/we-can-make-a-strong-unconditional-commitment-to-ourselves-to-take/) [William Ury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ury/) > [“have found that this journey from no to yes with myself is not a single trip, but ultimately a lifelong journey. 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This may seem utterly obvious, but uncovering this universal desire can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ury/the-bedrock-desire-then-is-a-universal-one-to-be-loved-and-happy-this/) [William Ury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ury/) > [“How can we get what we truly want while satisfying the needs and concerns of others in our lives—family members, work colleagues, clients, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ury/how-can-we-get-what-we-truly-want-while-satisfying-the-needs-and/) [William Ury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ury/) [Explore all 38 William Ury quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ury/) ## More Respect quotes > [Self-respect and a clear conscience are powerful components of integrity and are the basis for enriching your relationships with others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-waitley/self-respect-and-a-clear-conscience-are-powerful-components-of/) [Denis Waitley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-waitley/) > [“some of my good Baptist brethren in Georgia had done a little preaching from the pulpit against the KKK, I would have a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-moss/some-of-my-good-baptist-brethren-in-georgia-had-done-a-little/) [Norman Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-moss/) > [My team and I have reunited two elements that coexist with diffiulty: respect and affection, because when they love you they don't respect you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakira/my-team-and-i-have-reunited-two-elements-that-coexist-with-diffiulty/) [Shakira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakira/) > [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [Few political debates have been as divisive as the European one. I fought as hard as I could on the Remain side, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-green/few-political-debates-have-been-as-divisive-as-the-european-one-i/) [Damian Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-green/) > [Almost everywhere we find . . . the use of various coercive measures, to rid ourselves as quickly as possible of the child withinus--i.e.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/almost-everywhere-we-find-the-use-of-various-coercive-measures-to-rid/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) > [How could you feel worthless when God has honoured you by creating you and choosing you to be with Him, in this life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/how-could-you-feel-worthless-when-god-has-honoured-you-by-creating/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) > [The older you've gotten, the more respect and admiration you've received.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jupp-heynckes/the-older-you-ve-gotten-the-more-respect-and-admiration-you-ve/) [Jupp Heynckes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jupp-heynckes/) > [I don't believe in an afterlife. I don't believe in a single or multiple godhead. I respect people who do, but I don't believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/i-don-t-believe-in-an-afterlife-i-don-t-believe-in-a-single-or/) [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) > [“Don’t waste your time trying to explain yourself to people that are committed to misunderstanding you. Instead, commit your time to explaining who they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/don-t-waste-your-time-trying-to-explain-yourself-to-people-that-are/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [One achieves true human dignity only when one serves. 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