Our latest collection of respect quotes and sayings will inspire you to respect yourself and others.

Respect is something that is often earned and not simply given.

Share your favorite respect quote with us in the comment section below.

What are the benefits of reading respect quotes?

When you earn a person’s respect, you are held in higher regard for your efforts which have proven you worthy of it.

Respect is at the core of every human interaction.

Regardless of how old you are or what social status you hold, we all need to feel respected and valued.

When we treat others with respect, it shows that we recognize their value and worth.

Respect is important in any relationship.

These quotes will help you:

• determine what respectful behavior looks like
• set boundaries and help you get the respect you deserve
• remember that differences make us unique and special

For a relationship to be successful, there has to be great respect for one another, even when disagreements arise.

Although respect seems to be declining in today’s world, we must be sympathetic to those around us and regard their rights and feelings.

In that regard, here are some inspirational, wise, and powerful respect quotes, respect sayings, and respect proverbs collected from a variety of sources over the years.

If you like this article, we suggest you explore our most popular quotes article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily encouragement. 

Read more related content on our inspirational quotes category page.

Respect quotes and sayings about life, love, and relationships

1. “I must respect the opinions of others even if I disagree with them.” – Herbert H. Lehman

2. “Knowledge will give you power, but character respect.” – Bruce Lee

3. “Men are respectable only as they respect.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

4. “Most good relationships are built on mutual trust and respect.” – Mona Sutphen

5. “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

6. “Never judge someone by the way he looks or a book by the way it’s covered; for inside those tattered pages, there’s a lot to be discovered.” – Stephen Cosgrove

If you’re enjoying these quotes, make sure to read our collection of relationship quotes celebrating real love.

7. “I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university.” – Albert Einstein

8. “To be one, to be united is a great thing. But to respect the right to be different is maybe even greater.” – Bono

9. “When we treat people merely as they are, they will remain as they are. When we treat them as if they were what they should be, they will become what they should be.” – Thomas S. Monson

10. “One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say.” – Bryant H. McGill

If you’re enjoying these quotes, you’ll love our collection of listening quotes that express the importance of listening.

Respect quotes and sayings to make your life better

11. “Respect commands itself and it can neither be given nor withheld when it is due.” – Eldridge Cleaver

12. “You can demand courtesy but you have to earn respect.” – Lawrence Goldstone

13. “If we can respect the divine within us, if we can treat it with dignity, then we can respect others around us.” –Vishwas Chavan

14. “Respect is an invention of people who want to cover up the empty place where love should be.” – Leo Tolstoy

15. “Life is short, and we should respect every moment of it.” – Orhan Pamuk

16. “Respect for ourselves guides our morals; respect for others guides our manners” ― Laurence Sterne

17. “Respecting someone indicate the quality of your personality.” – Mohammad Rishad Sakhi

18. “Every human being, of whatever origin, of whatever station, deserves respect. We must each respect others even as we respect ourselves.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

19. “I cannot conceive of a greater loss than the loss of one’s self-respect.” – Mahatma Gandhi

20. “Respect is what we owe; love, what we give.” – Philip James Bailey

Also check out these wise Native American quotes and proverbs on community, respect, and more.

Respect quotes and sayings about honoring others

21. “I will not try to convince you to love me, to respect me, to commit to me. I deserve better than that; I AM BETTER THAN THAT…Goodbye.” ― Steve Maraboli

22. “We cannot expect people to have respect for law and order until we teach respect to those we have entrusted to enforce those laws.” ― Hunter S. Thompson

If you’re enjoying these quotes, make sure to check out our collection of Hunter S. Thompson quotes from journalist and author.

23. “If you want to be respected by others, the great thing is to respect yourself. Only by that, only by self-respect will you compel others to respect you.” ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky

24. “If we lose love and self-respect for each other, this is how we finally die.” – Maya Angelou

25. “Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.” – Albert Einstein

26. “Being brilliant is no great feat if you respect nothing.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

27. “Nothing is more despicable than respect based on fear.” – Albert Camus

28. “If you have some respect for people as they are, you can be more effective in helping them to become better than they are.” – John W. Gardner

29. “Treat people the way you want to be treated. Talk to people the way you want to be talked to. Respect is earned, not given.” – Hussein Nishah

30. “Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery.” – Malcolm X

Powerful respect quotes and sayings about being nice to everyone

31. “I don’t care if you’re black, white, straight, bisexual, gay, lesbian, short, tall, fat, skinny, rich or poor. If you’re nice to me, I’ll be nice to you. Simple as that.” ― Robert Michaels

32. “I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.” ― Winston S. Churchill

33. “Respect should be the first thing you give.” – Anonymous

33. “When you practice gratefulness, there is a sense of respect toward others.” – Dalai Lama

34. “Self-respect is the cornerstone of all virtue.” – John Herschell

35. “Take very little notice of those people who choose to treat you poorly. It is how they are defining their story, not yours.” – Lei Wah

36. “There are lots of people I admire and respect, but I don’t necessarily want to be like them. I’m too happy being myself.” – James D’arcy

37. “Be kind, don’t judge, and have respect for others. If we can all do this, the world would be a better place. The point is to teach this to the next generation.” – Jasmine Guinness

38. “A child who is allowed to be disrespectful to his parents will not have true respect for anyone.” – Billy Graham

39. “Be loyal to those who are loyal to you. And respect everyone, even your enemies, and competition.” – John Cena

40. “I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me. All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.” – Jackie Robinson

For additional reading, be sure to also check out these good man quotes that will inspire you to do your best.

Respect quotes to elevate your mind

41. “A person’s a person, no matter how small.” – Dr. Seuss

42. “Be more humble than a blade of grass, more tolerant than a tree, always offering respect onto others and never expecting any in return.” – Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

43. “Honest communication is built on truth and integrity and upon respect of the one for the other.” – Benjamin E. Mays

44. “If we are not free, no one will respect us.” – A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

45. “Treat everyone with respect and kindness. Period. No exceptions.” – Kiana Tom

46. “Once you figure out what respect tastes like, it tastes better than attention. But you have to get there.” – Pink

47. “I love making new friends and I respect people for a lot of different reasons.” – Taylor Swift

48. “I have more respect for a man who lets me know where he stands, even if he’s wrong, than the one who comes up like an angel and is nothing but a devil.” – Malcolm X
If you’re enjoying these quotes, you’ll love our collection of devil quotes that will help you triumph against evil.

49. “Set the standard! Stop expecting others to show you love, acceptance, commitment, & respect when you don’t even show that to yourself.” – Steve Maraboli

50. “Probably no greater honor can come to any man than the respect of his colleagues.” – Cary Grant

Respect quotes for Students

51. “The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life.” – Richard Bach

52. “This is how you start to get respect, by offering something that you have.” – Mitch Albom

53. “Respect your efforts, respect yourself. Self-respect leads to self-discipline. When you have both firmly under your belt, that’s real power.” –
Clint Eastwood

54. “Respect is for those who deserve not for those who demand it.” – Paulo Coelho

55. “Respect was invented to cover the empty place where love should be.” –
Leo Tolstoy

56. “Respect for the truth comes close to being the basis for all morality.” – Frank Herbert

57. “Respect is one of life’s greatest treasures. I mean, what does it all add up to if you don’t have that?” – Marilyn Monroe

58. “Respect for the fragility and importance of an individual life is still the mark of an educated man.” – Norman Cousins

59. “We don’t need to share the same opinions as others, but we need to be respectful.” – Taylor Swift

60. “If you treat people right they will treat you right… ninety percent of the time.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

You might also like these wise Native American quotes on community, respect, and more.

Truth and respect Quotes

61. “The truest form of love is how you behave toward someone, not how you feel about them.” – Steve Hall

62. “Love is honesty. Love is a mutual respect for one another.” – Simone Elkeles

63. “I cannot compromise my respect for your love. You can keep your love, I will keep my respect.” – Amit Kalantri

64. “You demand respect and you’ll get it. First of all, you give respect.” – Mary J. Blige

65. “The secret of a happy life is respect. Respect for yourself and respect for others.” – Ayad Akhtar

66. “Respect toward others can’t be imposed. It’s a blessing or learning the hard way.” – Toba Beta

67. “If she does not respect you, she will replace you.” – Habeeb Akande

68. “When we love and respect people, revealing to them their value, they can begin to come out from behind the walls that protect them.” – Jean Vanier

69. “Never pay attention to someone who has not earned your respect.” – Habeeb Akande

70. “If you can’t Respect her, you don’t Deserve Her!” – Udayveer Singh

More respect quotes and sayings

71. “Respect depends on reciprocity.” – Nyang Proverb

72. “I firmly believe that respect is a lot more important, and a lot greater, than popularity.” – Julius Erving

73. “If you are not being treated with respect, don’t be a doormat.” – Robert Rain

74. “Everyone should be respected as an individual, but no one idolized.” – Albert Einstein

75. “Respect out of fear is no respect.” – M. K. Soni

76. “Respect is a two-way street, if you want to get it, you’ve got to give it.” – R.G. Risch

77. “You will gain more respect and esteem through listening rather than through talking.” – Clive Harman

78. “To get down to the quick of it, respect motivates me – not success.” – Hugh Jackman

79. “Humility and respect tell much more about your background than your personality.” – Kate Iroegbu

80. “Responsibility and respect of others and their religious beliefs are also part of freedom.” –Horst Koehler

Respect quotes and sayings to extend to all people

81. “Gratitude is the most exquisite form of courtesy.”-Jacques Maritain

82. “Show respect to all people, but grovel to none.” -Tecumseh

83. “If once you forfeit the confidence of your fellow-citizens, you can never regain their respect and esteem.” -Abraham Lincoln

84. “Be modest, be respectful of others, try to understand.” -Lakhdar Brahimi

85. “As all human beings are, in my view, creatures of God’s design, we must respect all other human beings. That does not mean I have to agree with their choices or agree with their opinions, but indeed I respect them as human beings.” -Stockwell Day 

86. “Assuredly, Loving Souls, you should go to God with all humility and respect, humbling yourselves in His presence, especially when you remember your past ingratitude and sins.” -Alphonsus Liguori

87. “I have great respect for the past. If you don’t know where you’ve come from, you don’t know where you’re going.” -Maya Angelou

88. “Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?” -Confucius

89. “We all require and want respect, man or woman, black or white.” -Aretha Franklin

90. “We will not agree on every issue. But let us respect those differences and respect one another.” -John Lynch

Respect Quotes and Sayings To Maintain Dignity

91. “It’s not about winning or losing, but love and respect.” — Max Lucado

92.  “Surround yourself with people who respect and treat you well.” — Claudia Black

93. “It is not sufficient to be worthy of respect in order to be respected.” — Alfred Nobel

94. “But really, we also need to learn how to love one another as women. How to appreciate and respect each other.” — Chaka Khan

95. “Never esteem anything as of advantage to you that will make you break your word or lose your self-respect.” — Marcus Aurelius

96. “Respect children because they’re human beings and they deserve respect, and they’ll grow up to be better people.” — Benjamin Spock

97. “I always respect a woman.” — Enrique Iglesias

98. “My respect for human beings is based not on the colour of a man’s skin nor authority he may wield, but purely on merit.” — Nelson Mandela

99. “Let us develop respect for all living things. Let us try to replace violence and intolerance with understanding and compassion. And love.” — Jane Goodall

100. “Only those who respect the personality of others can be of real use to them.” — Albert Schweitzer

Which respect quotes and sayings were your favorites?

Although respect seems to be rapidly declining nowadays, we must remember to always act with politeness, thoughtfulness and civility towards others.

Hopefully, these respect quotes have reminded you of the importance to treat others with kindness and respect.

Did you enjoy these respect quotes and sayings?

Which of the quotes was your favorite?

Tell us in the comment section below.

We would love to hear all about it.

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