What is the cost of respect?

Let's have a little game, Dondi. How many thumbs down do you think this answer will get before you resolve the question?

Anyway, bad grammar in line 1, I'm afraid. How about....

Much has been said and written too,

or

Much has been written and said too,

You've certainly got my respect, Sir. Hope the above is helpful. Just one other thing, Dondi, regarding your last line. In a sense, don't we all end where we began regardless of whether we give respect or not? How about...

For he who cannot give his love,

Will pay a heavy toll.

And if respect he cannot give,

Shall die a lonely soul.

Well, I can tell from the smug, self-serving tones of another of your answers that someone seems to "respect" themself perhaps just a little too much. And may I just point out that if respect has to be "earned" then it can't be "unconditional" - that's a contradiction in terms.

NO. Self-respect is everything, without it you might as well be dead. I lost my self-respect to someone I loved and I will always regret it. Without self-respect you become a clingy, desperate unattractive mess, like a desperate puppy. Self-respect and self-esteem are 100x more important than love, it's better to be single forever than be in relationships where you lose yourself to the other person. Besides, when it becomes obvious you have no self-respect the other person gets turned off and dumps you anyway, so there's really no advantages to losing it. I'd go to any lengths to fulfil my self-respect and self-esteem at the cost of love, but as for the other way round, no way. Never, ever again. I have learnt my [extremely painful] lesson!

Dondi, That was stunning. I will give you all my respect because you earned it. And I hope I have yours because I feel that I also have earned it. That`s called,"Mutual Respect" Some poeple don`t give any

respect but they want it in return. Those are the selfish people. Take, Take, Take. And the ones that do say they give are the ones that give with one hand and take back with the other. You can tell which are the ones that don`t give naturally. They are always crying,crying. Where`s

my respect? No likes me. I didn`t give all the TD`S. Everyone picks on me. OH BOOOO FREAKING HOOOOO. Respect is something you earn from another person or animal. It`s supposed to be given unconditionally. If you give just to get something back then that makes you selfish. I work in a Nursing Home. I bring them candy,clothes, books,and conversation. I walked in with an arm full of stuff and when I walked away my arms might have been empty but my smile was from ear to ear and my Heart was full. And that my friends is what it`s all about. It`s a beautiful thing. Dondi, keep up the good work. You are loved and respected.

As usual, I enjoy your ballad style.

I have great respect for many people who have become my friends on this site. They have become more than virtual to me; they are a real community. Instead of using a telephone, I can communicate with the world through the Internet.

I have been fortunate to work with a man for whom I have not only respect, but admiration. The Internet has changed my life for the better.

Don, this is generally well-written, but a few things could use improvement: "Wrote" is not the correct verb tense in L1, so perhaps rewrite the first line as "Much has been said and written too" dropping the line's concluding comma, which is incorrect. L3 should end with a semi-colon and L4 with a question mark. Similarly, S2 should end with a question mark. Your meter is reasonably pure -- a Dondi trademark of sorts, and may I say one that I appreciate -- and your message of reciprocity, based ultimately on the golden rule, is one that is hard to argue with. If you wished to improve the poem, you could attend to these smallish matters, but in the large this is a good poem with a timely, and timeless, message.

Had to look up the word genuflect. Will add it to my new words list. Just hope I can remember it.

The highest honor for someone is to respect or admire him or her. We teach children to honor their parents, yet we neglect to teach them what honor means. We too often think they know. Respect and honor are words that I often ponder, for I believe they link to faith. Without honor for God, we would not have faith in Him or His Word. Somehow, reflecting on your poem better made this connection for me. Thanks.

Also, yes, it is costly. Even though your poem doesn't touch on it, I realize giving is sometimes as difficult as forgiving. They both are worth the cost. If we can't give or forgive, we probably won't respect.

Great poem Donders, sad to say it should be given by me to my father,for this is a subject in which he is severely lacking. Very much the last stanza.

Courtesy is owed, Respect is earned, Love is given.

(Author unknown, found in Guide to Texas Etiquette by Kinky Friedman)

"Do unto others as you would like done unto you."

"To thy own self be true"

I must respect my self first, you can't give away what you do not have.

Great Poem Dondi, Self respect vanishes from our world, this is often on my mind as our basic down fall. Bravo to your poem

Respect is something you can not get from anyone but yourself,

You can give everything you have, everything on your shelf,

So wear youself out if you may, give every part of you soul,

they will still treat you in a way, that leaves a big fat hole,

So when you apply for that job & they call to tell you NO,

Don't feel they disrespected you, cause it your life to sow,

Get back out there & apply again & give yourself some love,

Cause you have to do this for yourself not anyone above.

So everytime you get hit down it's up to you to get up,

So cry your tears & wipe your eyes, drink from your own cup,

When you love yourself above all else you can love others too.

But now you don't control them cause you know it's all up to you.