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Command. Dismiss. Demand.
Why Women Have to Earn What Men Give Each Other for Free
The Double Standard of Respect — and the Unspoken Male Code That Keeps It in Place
Men love to say it:
“Respect is earned.”
And yet, somehow, they hand it to each other like breath mints.
He parks like a jerk? Still gets called “sir.”
He yells in a meeting? “Strong personality.”
He’s never done a damn thing for anyone but himself? “Solid guy.”
But women? We’re told to earn it. Smile first. Prove value. Say it softly. Be nice. Be gracious. Then maybe, maybe, you’ll get some basic courtesy in return. And even then, don’t get too comfortable — it can be revoked at any moment.
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This isn’t about ego. It’s about equity. And about time we name the dynamic for what it is: Respect is gendered. And women are still stuck paying interest on something men inherited for free.
Did you just swallow your gum?
