respect.

whether it is treating someone the way you would like to be treated, knowing the boundries and never pushing someone over the edge, or even simple qualities such as honesty, loyalty, considertion - respect is one of the things that keeps the little amount of peace we have left in the world. it is a word with a complex meaning; a word which is hard to define. yet, we all seem to have the knowledge - of what respect is - programmed into our brains.
when you first meet someone, the respect you have for them is on a neutral level. you aren't positively respectful of them, nor are you disrespectful. it is simply, civility. once their first and second impressions subside, you are able to form an amount of respect you have for them. and this conclusion is generally drawn from what society perceives acceptable respectful behaviour. according to society, a person who is respectful to others (and their property) is someone who is not rude, but polite. someone who is not a compulsive liar, but honest. and someone who is both genuine and sincere. as the world changes though, respect is something that can get a little lost.
there are many negative feelings we can experience towards other people, the worst of all being hatred. and this is a feeling that cannot occur unless there is an absence of respect. you can dislike someone very much, but still hold an ounce of respect for them. however, then in a spilt second moment - a split second choice of words or actions made by them - the respect can be flushed down the toilet. and you're left feeling betrayed. utterly repulsed. so once you're left with disliking someone and no respect for them, what are you meant to do apart from have hatred towards them?
no one is better than anyone else. we are all equal. but showing disrespect is treating someone not as an equal but as something you would throw in with the rubbish. disrespect is as low as one can go and is an action that cannot be reversed. disrespect is as low as one can go and for that, i don't value you at all.