"Sometimes people use “respect” to mean “treating someone like a person” and sometimes they use “respect” to mean “treating someone like an authority”

and sometimes people who are used to being treated like an authority say “if you won’t respect me I won’t respect you” and they mean “if you won’t treat me like an authority I won’t treat you like a person”

and they think they’re being fair but they aren’t, and it’s not okay."

-a 15yo autistic girl experiencing ABA therapy

@DionRa It gets even muddier when they say "that's my opinion and you have to respect that"

I don't even know what that means. There are many opinions that deserve absolutely zero respect.

@LittleFrank @DionRa
I feel one should protect their boundaries by responding in such a case: It is MY opinion that respect is earned. I will gladly respect your opinion when you can demonstrate its worthiness.