Respect in a relationship is when you care about their feelings and boundaries and wouldn’t do anything you know would hurt them and make them feel a certain way. You consider their feelings and are attentive to their feelings because you have high respect for them.
Why is respect important in a relationship?
Respect is important in a relationship as it shows you love and care about them. When you are in-love, respect grows and you wouldn’t want to jeopardise their feelings and your relationship. In a relationship you should always respect your partner’s feelings and needs, otherwise it can break the relationship.
What can cause lack of respect in a relationship?
Doing something you know will hurt them but do it anyway
Lying
Unfaithfulness
Not respecting their boundaries
Being different towards them around certain people
Shaming them/saying nasty things
Ignorance
Feeling unheard
Poor communication
Not being a priority
Respect and trust in a relationship
When there is no respect/lack of in a relationship, it is more likely to cause lack of trust. When you are in a relationship, trust is so important. So for you to jeopardise this by doing something you know is going to hurt them will affect the relationship. Many people in relationships act differently around their friends than when they are with their partner, and there may be things that will cause you to lack respect for your partner and your relationship.
Unfaithfulness in a relationship
Unfaithfulness is one of the biggest signs of having no respect for your partner. When you are with someone, you shouldn’t give them a reason to feel unworthy and like they have done something wrong. This can really badly affect someone and how they see themselves and how they think. If you really loved someone, you would never think to do anything that would hurt and disrespect their feelings. This can range from sending inappropriate messages, messaging and flirting with other people behind their back, to full blown sexual contact with someone else. All of the above is just as bad and can really affect someone’s self-esteem and mental health.
How can lack of respect hurt your partner?
Lack of respect can hurt your partner as it may feel like you don’t care about their feelings. They put their all into a relationship with lack of/no respect can really damage someone’s mind and self-esteem. When you are in a relationship it is important to be honest and discuss the boundaries that should be placed on the relationship to avoid hurting each other.
Lack of respect can cause issues like;
Depression
Anxiety
Not feeling good enough
Feelings of worthlessness
Trust issues
Toxicity
Unhealthy habits
Breakdown of a relationship
Lack of respect and not feeling like you’re enough
When your partner does something that suggests there is a lack of respect for you and the relationship, it can be easy to think negatively and feel like you are not good enough. People do things for many reasons, and that is their problem not yours. Lack of respect among other things is usually nothing to do with you. When you are in a relationship, it is important to feel loved and to have the respect you deserve, otherwise what is the point? It is never that you are not enough, it is that they do not deserve you.
How lack of respect affects your relationship
Lack of respect in a relationship affects everyone differently. Everyone has different boundaries. However the outcome is always the same. When you have that lack of respect in a relationship, the relationship will start to crack. More issues will arise, and it can affect both parties. Your relationship may become more toxic and more draining, and that can affect you physically and mentally. It will get to a point where you don’t care anymore and give up on the relationship.
How can I make sure I am having respect for my partner?
Have a conversation on boundaries – You won’t know what will hurt someone if you don’t talk to them. People think if it’s not the general things that you shouldn’t do it’s ok. But many people have their own boundaries and issues that may hurt them, and they should be able to trust that their partner will respect their feelings.
Talk about your issues – In a relationship, things can be rocky. No relationship is perfect, but it’s what you do to fix them that counts. It is important to talk about issues and come up with ways to fix them whilst in a relationship, rather than run away from them.
Always tell them the truth – Honesty plays a big part with respect in a relationship, and many relationships end because of deceitfulness.
Listen to their feelings – When your partner is feeling down about something, it is important to listen to them. Sometimes all someone needs is to be heard and to feel that their feelings matter.
Speaking positively to each other and to others – When you have respect for your partner, you won’t speak bad of them to friends or family. It is important to be kind to each other, even when you are in an argument.
Compromising – In a relationship, you no longer are just thinking about your own feelings. You have dedicated yourself to love this person and respect them, and sometimes this involves compromising (on both sides),
Conclusion
Without respect in a relationship, it will only cause more issues. You may start to hate your partner, hate yourself and wonder why you are not good enough. And it is important to remember you need to be kind to yourself. Someone who has a lack of/no respect for you is not because of you. Someone that deserves you will respect you and your relationship no matter what, because they love you and they care about you. Lack of respect will only leave you with no relationship, it is important to communicate with each other and set boundaries and talk about issues. Otherwise someone will get hurt.