#Respect

Enthusiastic consent is the joyous battle cry that shatters the quiet hush of uncertainty. On the battlefield of love, a clear and resounding “Yes!” from your partner transforms a minefield into safe ground. Proceeding in silence is tantamount to stepping on a landmine called “absence of consent.” In the love match where expectations are shared and voices unite, even a gentle nod carries the weight of a river. Ultimately, it seems the most certain agreement is the one proclaimed with the greatest enthusiasm.

Respect is the social ritual of pretending to acknowledge another's worth while secretly confirming one's superiority. It sounds noble, but in practice the scales are tipped by whoever holds the lever. Often, one feigns listening to another's opinion even as the rebuttal is drafted in the mind. The more it is extolled in theory, the further it drifts from practice, living on as a decorative crown of empty words. In many cases, it resembles a subtle violence masked as courtesy.

A phrase touted as the path to higher regard from others, yet in reality consumed as a corporate slogan. It is proclaimed at the start of every meeting and forgotten the moment the meeting ends, a hollow virtue. A tool to don a shell of courtesy that masks a constant need for approval. Essentially, it is nothing more than a polish for the vanity called respect.