I think that showing respect is a basic trait for being polite, no matter when dealing with family, friends, coworkers, classmates, or anyone else. In eastern culture, people who are older or have a higher status demand respect from. I think it’s more relaxed in western culture. Given that, I think no matter someone’s status or age, they should still treat others with respect.
During elections here, I see many activities where the candidates have publicity events with children on TV. Things like giving hugs or taking photos. Some parents don’t care what their kids want, they just want to feel important and let the politicians use their kids. I always frown when I see that. If the kids smile, adults may have no feelings about that, but if they cry, adults may still smile. I feel very uncomfortable when watching those events. If I was the kid, I may be very disgusted when strangers touch me, and I don’t care if my parents will feel embarrassed. If I was one of the parents, I would feel unhappy if strangers touched my kids too. I’m not easy going when it comes to things like that. I always think that if the children can express what they want, we should ask their permission. If you can’t get their permission, you should ask their parents for permission instead of treating the child like your own child for publicity.
Even your very close family members, partner, or friends still need to respect each other. There’s a saying from the book “Notebooks” by Mark Twain, “Familiarity breeds contempt.” Family may be the closest relation without distance, but it doesn’t mean you can disrespect other family members. Parents should treat their children with respect, for example like opinions and ideas and their own space. I think it helps with communication in the family. Children should respect their parents too, because they have very valuable life experiences, and they are willing to share them with their children. Partners may be close too, but at the same time, you still need to give each other the appropriate privacy. Then it won’t feel like the other can’t breathe, and the relationship can last longer. I think the same things applies to friends also, no matter how close the friend is, we should respect their boundaries. We won’t take things for granted if we respect each other. Teachers and students are the same way. Teachers have many experiences and knowledge that are useful for students to learn. Since younger people’s brains are more elastic, it’s a good time to learn these respect concepts. There’s a saying, “Teaching benefits teachers as well as students.” With respect you can accept different ideas.
Most of the time, eastern culture emphasizes obedience. The higher status people usually will not respect the lower status people because of their power. On the other hand, when we interact with people who are close to us, we always assume that they understand us. It’s great if that happens, but if sometimes it doesn’t, don’t be too upset. I think if we can respect anyone, we can have the most appropriate interactions. Maybe it’s better to have the sense to trust each other, and we can decrease the unsafe feelings, misunderstandings and pitiful things.