7 Ways to Show Respect to Your Partner

Have you read the popular book, Love and Respect? I haven’t yet, but about a month ago, I watched an interview with its author, American writer, Dr. Emerson Eggerichs, where he shared intriguing insights that I will probably never forget. According to him, the number 1 need of any man is not necessarily love but respect. In other words, a man would rather have his wife or girlfriend show him how much she honours and respects him, than throw around the L word with cute pet names to go along with it. Interesting, right? This was the inspiration behind this article. Men want respect, and so do their women. But what steps can we take to get this respect and make sure its constant element in our relationships? Here are some tips to try: 1. Have self-respect: You can’t expect to love and respect others if you don’t love and respect yourself. Take good care of your body and mind, and become your best friend first. That way, you have enough to give out and can detect when you’re not getting any. 2. Learn to tolerate and appreciate differences: No two fingers are the same, and the same rule applies to people. If you share different interests, beliefs and personalities, it’s important you respect this difference and are respectfully considerate and open minded. 3. Communicate respectfully: Avoid using abusive language, both the subtle and direct kind, when talking to your significant other. No eye rolling, finger twirling or pointing, just don’t be rude. Treat him or her how you would like to be treated and this should be reciprocated. 4. Respect their intellect and dreams: Ideally, smart people attract, right? So trust that your significant other has a good level of sense to make right decisions and don’t underestimate it. If you don’t necessarily agree with an idea, you can politely discuss this and together, work towards a reasonable conclusion. 5.Don’t take your partner for granted: Be quick to apologise when you offend your partner, and never forget to show gratitude when something nice is done for you. 6. Remember to always respect his or her boundaries: If he wants space, give him space. If she doesn’t like the way you cut in when she talks, respect that. Your partner’s boundaries are there for a reason, and not crossing them deliberately is a good way to show respect. 7. Be a team player: When it comes down to it, you and your loved one should see yourselves as one unit working towards the same goals, particularly if you’re married. This kind of mindset is guaranteed to help you treat them well in public – because when one of us looks bad, we all look bad – and say the right things for encouragement and settle disagreements correctly.     Photo Credit: Africanamericanmarriagecounselors.com

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• Youth Power: The Zikist Movement (Part 1)
• 5 Tips On Being An Intentional Parent (Part 2)

This article was first published on 14th August 2015

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