Respect Everyone. I know the common maxim is based on the fact that elders are often not respected, especially by the young. Those who see them as merely passive members of the ex-world community. But, the maxim implies that the elderly are somehow more deserving of respect simply because of their age. This is untrue. They are worthy of our respect because they are humans. Start giving the two-year old next door the same respect you do the elderly lady down the street. It's hard. We have some relearning to do.