respect

1) Actions taken in response to fear or low self esteem. Respect is used in situations where a person wants others (or sometimes themself) to believe they have a high opinion of someone. People respect their loved ones as people they have strong feelings for could use their feelings to hurt them. People respect those with authority over them as they are afraid of that authority being used against them. To respect is one way of defining the feelings and behaviour caused by the pecking order in society: People respect their betters as they dont want to admit their own failings or are afraid that if they express their dislike for those better than them it would be seen as a challenge. 2) An attempt to gain the favor of others by showing empathy or understanding of other peoples views and feelings - commonly used in arguments to portray a superior knowledge of the issue in question.