Knowing everyone has their own ways of thinking and makes decisions based on their own priorities helps me stand back and keep respect intact.
Respect is one of those tuff values to define.
If I was to ever loose respect for someone it is due to lack of value in their opinion in my life. It is due to witnessing someones actions intentionally harm another. It is because I may have helped someone in the past and they did harm to me or my family afterwards. I loose respect for those who dismiss accountability and lie often showing me the apologies are shallow. I loose what I know as respect when their are so many inconsistencies that I have no idea who they actually are. I loose respect for those who have to tear down another person to build themselves up. Respect is automatically given from me, it only lost after repeated personal experiences with someone that indicate a disregard for my boundaries.
What I respect is someone who brings their knowledge to the forefront, knows where they stand whether right or wrong practicing humility without wasting my time. I respect moral codes where I can get an understand of what is most important and what they believe in with as little room possible for unexpected outbursts. I respect someone who makes their boundaries extremely clear early on. I respect someone so passionate about what they believe that it inspires me. I respect a person investing in a skill long enough to master it and would not question their abilities. I respect those who work for they have. I respect those who have the ability to help and do. I respect someone who speaks their mind and is not afraid to say yes or no and knows when to stop talking and this not limited by age.
Respect to me is the awareness that we all believe different things and want different things and this is good. We do not need to change or influence someone else, note I said need to. Respect is stepping back and seeing the person as a whole, a sum of experiences, a cluster of goals and being able to identify a person who keeps them self on track and observing their journey just as it is, with a high regard for 'theirs'.