The things teenagers fail to realise
“He is too young to think that respect is earned by rudeness.” (Joe Abercrombie).
Youth is a time of experimentation, self-searching and, alas, mistakes. One of these common ‘delusions of youth’ is the belief that respect can be earned by rudeness.
But life, like a wise teacher, sooner or later puts everything in its place. And then it becomes clear: respect cannot be snatched like a trophy, it can only be earned.
Teenagers do not understand that often strength lies in silence, which is often louder than any scream. And intelligence lies in the ability to listen, not interrupt. Respect is not something that is taken, but something that is given.
History knows many examples when it was precisely gentleness, patience and the ability to find a common language that became the basis of true respect. The story of a man whose name has become the most widespread on earth is a striking example of this. The Koran itself testifies to this in the sacred verse (meaning of the commentary): “By the grace of Allah ﷻ, you (O Muhammad ﷺ) were gentle with them (the Companions). But if you had been rude and hard-hearted, they would certainly have abandoned you.” (Sura Ali Imran, ayah 159).
The gentleness of the Prophet ﷺ, by the grace of the Almighty, united thousands of people around him, made him a role model for many generations, so that after almost one and a half thousand years his name has become the most valued on Earth.
We know that youth is the time when you want to prove to the world that you are worth something. But true strength is not in breaking others, but in building yourself. And our youth should know: respect is not won by rudeness, true professionalism is not the ability to shout louder than everyone else but the ability to convey your thoughts so that they are heard.
Life is not a battle where you have to fight for every inch of land. It is a dialogue where it is important not to shout down but to hear. Where respect is born not from fear but from understanding. Where strength is not in humiliating another but in helping him rise.
And rudeness is often an attempt to hide one’s insecurity, the fear of being misunderstood, rejected. It is a mask behind which hides a soul that has not yet found its way...
