Module 1: SELF RESPECT

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respect for property

This is closely linked with respect for the individual. It is important to recognise that, if I want others to value what is mine, I must also respect and value what is theirs, whether the owners are known to me or not.

Disrespect is often shown to property belonging to someone unknown to, or otherwise distanced from, the perpetrators of the damage.

respect for life

The doctor who fights for the life of a patient against all odds, regardless of who that person is or whether he/she has been living a life worthy of respect, is saying something about the absolute value of every human life.

respect for the sacred

To some children this will be a closed book - they will have no idea what others understand by sacred. Everyone, however, has some experience of particular places and things meaning a great deal to them for some reason. Such a sense can help in understanding the sacred.

If we are to live peacefully as citizens of a multi-cultural society, it is essential that we respect those things which others regard sacred. Indeed, sacred things are as precious to some people as life itself. Respect for the sacred is often a pre-requisite for winning the trust and friendship of someone whose religion/faith is different from our own.