Respect
The word, “respect,” is a simple yet powerful, and often taken for granted, word. It’s not just that this little word is the title of a frequently belted out song, but one can argue that respect is also one of the greatest of human desires.
A legend once said, “I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me… All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.” There is not a quote that better verbalizes this desire than the one above by baseball great Jackie Robinson. Have you ever sensed these exact words emanating from another person while in the midst of speaking with them?
In working with my patients, I see and hear many different life stories. Indeed, each person I work with has a unique identity, an idiosyncratic story comprised of any array of experiences and perceptions. However, one consistent thing I have noticed when counseling my patients, and/or their families for that matter, is their seemingly common, and typically unspoken, desire to feel respected.
Sometimes, as I have learned when speaking with patients, having all the right answers at hand is far less important than conveying to that patient that you respect and care about them due to the simple fact that they are human, capable of both fallacy and accuracy. This is a basic concept in working with any patient and is part of the rapport-building phase of a professional working relationship. Yet, often enough, I see how easy it can be for people to skip this basic and most important step in their professional relationships with others – and often in their personal relationships, for that matter.
Part of conveying this respect to others first involves self-examination to know ones own values, fears, and biases. One must learn to be aware of these and recognize when or if they might interfere with ones professional judgment. Becoming aware means knowing your views like the size of your shoes (yes, that rhymes). In working with patients, one then learns to convey respect through active listening, genuine interest in what the other person is communicating, and having true empathy for the individual. Pretty Rogerian, isn’t it?
In closing, none of the aforementioned is always easy and, even more, no human is consistently, if ever, perfect. Sometimes we get tired. Other times we feel stressed or maybe even depressed. However, we should do our very best in striving not to let these things get in our way of showing true respect to others based on the simple fact that they are human as we ourselves are human.
A legend once said, “I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me… All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.” There is not a quote that better verbalizes this desire than the one above by baseball great Jackie Robinson. Have you ever sensed these exact words emanating from another person while in the midst of speaking with them?
In working with my patients, I see and hear many different life stories. Indeed, each person I work with has a unique identity, an idiosyncratic story comprised of any array of experiences and perceptions. However, one consistent thing I have noticed when counseling my patients, and/or their families for that matter, is their seemingly common, and typically unspoken, desire to feel respected.
Sometimes, as I have learned when speaking with patients, having all the right answers at hand is far less important than conveying to that patient that you respect and care about them due to the simple fact that they are human, capable of both fallacy and accuracy. This is a basic concept in working with any patient and is part of the rapport-building phase of a professional working relationship. Yet, often enough, I see how easy it can be for people to skip this basic and most important step in their professional relationships with others – and often in their personal relationships, for that matter.
Part of conveying this respect to others first involves self-examination to know ones own values, fears, and biases. One must learn to be aware of these and recognize when or if they might interfere with ones professional judgment. Becoming aware means knowing your views like the size of your shoes (yes, that rhymes). In working with patients, one then learns to convey respect through active listening, genuine interest in what the other person is communicating, and having true empathy for the individual. Pretty Rogerian, isn’t it?
In closing, none of the aforementioned is always easy and, even more, no human is consistently, if ever, perfect. Sometimes we get tired. Other times we feel stressed or maybe even depressed. However, we should do our very best in striving not to let these things get in our way of showing true respect to others based on the simple fact that they are human as we ourselves are human.
posted by Holly at 10:21 PM
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