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How Respect Affects a New Relationship By Lynne Youdin | 19-07-2007 http://www.sexyadsnews.com

New relationships are fun and can help you feel good about yourself. Past hurts can be soothed over with the time and attention that a new relationship brings, and one's feelings of self-worth can rise again when looking into another person's eyes and seeing acceptance there. So where does respect fit in?

The word 'respect' in the dictionary has a couple of different meanings. One says that respect is a: "willingness to show consideration or appreciation"; another definition says: "to relate to with concern, honor and esteem: to avoid violation or interference with one another." Both definitions are worth re-reading and paying attention to. Respect is key in giving people the chance to develop relationships with one another. Can you imagine wanting to proceed any further in getting to know someone if they 'disrespected' your feelings right from the start?

The most important part of any relationship between two people is being able to talk and listen to one another. In a new relationship, this is often the easiest part to do--at first. You listen to the other person and they listen to you: each person wants to feel heard and understood. A lack of respect is easy to spot right away and a good clue that maybe you shouldn't spend too much time with this person.

But respect within a new relationship also includes listening to yourself and your feelings. Respect is needed so you can set boundaries and feel comfortable. In respecting yourself as much as you would someone else, you will come to discover that you are able to feel compassion for the experiences that the other person has had. Respect for both yourself and another opens up your ears as well as your heart. It allows you to be and become yourself in ways that previously may not have been in play in past relationships.

Respect allows you to be yourself and different from another person without feeling weird or strange. How so? Picture telling two new people something about yourself. One person listens and responds with consideration and appreciation; the other looks at you with judgment and proceeds to tell you what they think of what you told them. Which person is showing you respect? Which person do you feel more drawn to? The one that is validating your feelings or the one that is making you feel bad all of a sudden?

Respect sets the tone for a new relationship and is an ever-growing characteristic that must be in play for the relationship to grow in a healthy way. With respect for one another from the start, you learn to stay calm and talk about how you feel without attacking the other person. Disagreements will still happen but with respect, you learn to understand what the real reason is for not getting along.

Respect is a give-and-take and without it, your chances of developing a new relationship is almost zero. So practice giving respect. You know that you like receiving it, don't you?