8 Behaviors A Self-Respecting Person Never Tolerates

Unfortunately, sooner or later we all come across difficult moments in our lives. Whether it’s an abusive, toxic relationship, family, financial, or health issue, or loss of a loved one, these dark sides of life are simply inevitable.

Yet, it’s these difficult, painful moments that greatly affect and change our lives. It’s these dark moments that take us on a journey of self-transformation. And, the most important thing on this journey is self-respect.

Unfortunately, in a world that has gone crazy in every way possible and in which real, moral values have been replaced with fake, immoral ones, self-respect seems to have lost its meaning and importance.

We all want to be respected, but rarely do we think about paying that same amount of respect to ourselves. So, what exactly does self-respect mean?

It means loving and accepting yourself the way you are. It means treating yourself with kindness, compassion, and dignity. It means being able to say no to things you don’t want to do. It means always being willing to speak your mind and defend your beliefs, values, and rights. It means being willing to stand up for and protect yourself from any toxicity in your life.

Self-respect means being willing to admit your mistakes and make amends for them. It means being willing to accept responsibility for your own life. It means not relying too much on other people’s opinions of you because this can prevent you from being yourself and achieving happiness and success.

Self-respect also means being aware of the negative, self-destructive things that no person should ever do.

So, here are 8 behaviors that a self-respecting person never tolerates:

1. A negative self-image.

The way you perceive yourself affects your attitudes towards life. If you want your world to look more positive and colorful, then you need to have a positive view of yourself.

If you have positive thoughts about yourself and focus on and appreciate your qualities and strengths, then you’ll see countless opportunities, happiness, and joy wherever you look.

On the other hand, if you have a negative relationship with yourself, you’ll hardly make your reality look positive, achieve your goals, or have a successful career and relationships, be that romantic or otherwise.

2. People pleasing.

You’re the master of your own life. You’re the only person who decides how you’re going to live your life and what you want to achieve and how you’re going to do that. Therefore, you shouldn’t bother fulfilling other people’s wishes and trying to be the person they expect and want you to be. Because, the truth is – you can’t please everyone.

So, never let other people’s opinions of you dictate the course of your life, affect your decisions and choices, or change the way you perceive yourself. Do the things that make you happy and follow your gut.

3. Neglecting their health.

Self-respecting people know that taking care of their health should be their top priority. They also know that if they don’t look after their mental, emotional, and physical health themselves, no one else will do that for them.

They make sure they take absolute charge of their overall well-being because they know that only by maintaining good health, they can be truly happy and fulfilled and live their lives to the fullest.

4. Trying to fit in.

What’s the point in following the masses? Once you learn to love and appreciate yourself the way you are and once you start trusting your intuition and opinions more than those of other people, you’ll never feel the need to fit in.

Fitting in will never make you stand out. If you want to grow and do something that is remarkable,  you have to live your life in accordance with your own beliefs, principles, and rules, not by following the worn-out opinions and boring rules of others, and, of course, learn how to feel comfortable in your own skin.

5. Having a job they hate.

Unfortunately, many people work at a boring, soul-sucking job for the sake of a paycheck and don’t bother to change it. In my opinion, – yes, in this way, they manage to pay their bills for sure, but they hate their lives.

Any person who respects themselves knows that sometimes you have to be patient and stay at one job until you find a better one. They know that the only way you can live a happy, fulfilling life is by doing the things that you enjoy doing and that you can derive pleasure and benefit from.

6. Being in controlling, toxic relationships.

Any self-respecting person would never allow themselves to have a friend or be in a romantic relationship with someone who would try to manipulate and control them. People who are bad for your mental and emotional health and self-esteem deserve no place in your life.

You deserve to be surrounded by people who truly love and care about you and who bring out the best in you. People who help and encourage you to work on and improve yourself. And any other person that does not fit into this category simply doesn’t deserve a place in your life.

7. Being lazy.

A self-respecting person would never allow themselves to spend hours sitting in front of a screen, be it their phone, their computer, or the TV.

It’s easier to entertain yourself by surfing the net and posting statuses on your profiles on social media than go out in the real world and achieve the things you want, especially when you lack motivation.

However, self-respecting people don’t use their lack of motivation as an excuse to be lazy and spend their time lying on their couch, doing nothing. They always find positive ways to use their time, energy, and talents and they look for sources of inspiration everywhere around them whenever they feel less motivated.  

8. Not choosing happiness.

It’s sad how many people punish themselves by settling for something less than what they deserve just because they don’t value themselves enough. However, self-respecting people always choose the things that make them feel happy and fulfilled.

If you want to make your time on Earth worthwhile and live your life to the fullest, you must leave behind anything that doesn’t contribute to your happiness and success and that sucks all the positive energy out of you and choose things that benefit and improve your life.

So, whether it’s your relationships (romantic and otherwise), job, diet, habits, hobbies, or you name it, make sure you do things and you are surrounded by people who fill you with happiness and give you a sense of fulfillment. Believe in and value yourself more. Chase your dreams and don’t put limits on your life.