Pearl Nash
Respect isn’t always freely given. Sometimes we must command it.
Luckily, there are certain qualities that naturally do so.
A woman who commands respect has a special blend of personality traits that make people stand up and pay attention.
Let’s take a look at what they are…
1) Gumption
There’s admirable resourcefulness and spiritedness that comes from having gumption.
It brings with it the perfect combination of initiative, backbone, and wisdom.
It’s more than just having the drive to go for things in life. That drive is backed up by the common sense and enterprise to pull it off.
Being bold and audacious is something that commands so much respect because of the very fact that it’s not easy.
Putting yourself out there is scary. Failure hurts.
So deciding to take action and grab life with both hands takes real courage.
Women who command respect take bold steps to make things happen in their own lives.
2) Self-preservation
I’m not talking about self-preservation as a matter of life or death here. It’s more subtle than that.
I just mean being able to recognize harm and protect yourself from it. And often in life, that’s not physical, it’s psychological too.
Selflessness may be a virtue, but one that should never spill over into martyrdom.
Because putting yourself out shouldn’t consistently come at the expense of your own well-being.
It also puts you at risk of being walked all over.
Women who command respect know how to put their needs first when necessary. Far from being selfish, this is actually pretty badass.
3) Competence
Of course, competency can come in many shapes and forms. We all have different talents and skills.
Some of us are more creative, some are academically minded, some excel in practical tasks, whilst others shine most when they are deep in thought.
But when a woman displays her competency, she cannot fail to command respect.
She shows that she has the ability to understand concepts and carry out tasks.
In short: she gets sh*t done!
Modesty is all good and well, but we need to be prepared to proudly show exactly what we have to share with the rest of the world.
4) Integrity
Let’s face it:
It’s hard to respect someone who would sell their own granny just to get a head start in life.
Whilst we might envy and admire success, in order to respect it we expect people to remain principled.
I’m sure you can think of plenty of people with power, money, or status that you still don’t hold in very high regard.
Values, morals, and ethics are important.
Ultimately, we look up to the people in life who care about doing the right thing.
5) Charisma
Charisma commands respect by stealth.
Because it takes a sneakily soft approach.
It’s the ability to attract, charm, and influence those around you.
You could say it’s the “catch more flies with honey than vinegar” approach to getting respect.
Charismatic women are warm, sincere, approachable, self-aware, and engaging — and it’s no surprise all of that can be incredibly alluring.
It’s easier to respect someone when we like them. And charisma goes a long way in achieving that.
6) Assertive
Of course, charm is useful. But on the flip side, you have to be able to stand up for yourself when you want to command respect too.
Assertiveness isn’t about being surly or rude. It’s not about being bossy or demanding. It’s about being clear in your communication.
It’s the ability to ask for what you need and want and set boundaries in no uncertain terms.
Women who command respect don’t beat around the bush. When the situation calls for it, she is happy to assert herself.
7) Respectful
What she commands, she also gives out.
Respect is a two-way street, and it needs to be given in order to be received.
We all want to be respected so that we can feel seen safe and able to express ourselves. It’s how we build greater tolerance and understanding.
When we show people we respect them we’re essentially letting them know that we care about their wishes and feelings.
And that’s a powerful thing that helps us all to feel good about ourselves and our place in the world.
8) Dignity
The very definition of dignity is being worthy of honor.
So it’s unsurprising it’s one of the traits of a woman who effortlessly commands respect.
At its heart dignity is about having self-respect. And that self-respect then shines from the inside out.
In practical terms, women with dignity carry themselves with poise and composure, even when faced with emotionally challenging situations.
They have the self-worth to know that they don’t want to lower themselves to the level of inappropriate behavior.
Of course, it helps that they have cultivated some seriously strong emotional maturity.
9) Emotional maturity
Displaying emotional maturity always commands respect.
Women who are prone to outbursts, or frequently lose a grip of themselves undermine their authority.
That’s not to say that women who command respect stifle their emotions. They know that showing their feelings certainly doesn’t make them weak.
But they have the self-knowledge and understanding to give their feelings a healthy outlet. That way they don’t spill out in toxic ways.
And this sort of self-control takes a whole lot of personal growth. .
10) Trustworthiness
Nothing kills respect like a lack of trust.
That’s why you’re unlikely to respect someone who you can’t trust as far as you can throw.
Whilst it may be possible to demand respect, trust is earned.
We build other people’s trust by respecting boundaries, being honest, proving ourselves reliable, and showing our integrity.
11) Sense of humor
Not all the qualities on our list that command respect need to be so serious.
Ok, admittedly playing the class clown may not garnish quite so much respect. But having a good sense of humor certainly does.
That’s because there’s actually a link between being funny and being smart. Plenty of studies have found a connection between intelligence and humor.
In fact, apparently, even Albert Einstein credited his genius to having a childlike sense of humor.
Even better news, as well as commanding you more respect, it also probably makes you more attractive.
According to The Conversation:
“Evolutionary psychologists describe humour as a “heritable trait” that signals mental fitness and intellectual agility to prospective mates. In studies of attractiveness, both men and women rate funny people as more attractive, and cite having a good sense of humour as being one of the most important traits in a long-term partner.”
12) Resilience
Going through life without messing up is impossible. Similarly, not one of us manages to escape failure or loss.
I know, it’s not much of a pep talk.
But hey, it’s true.
Yet here’s the thing:
We don’t actually admire women for living charmed lives.
We admire them for being able to take the knocks and get back up again.
Every woman who has bounced back from disappointment, regret, sadness or hardship — refusing to give up — commands a whole lot of respect.
