Would You Rather Be Respected or Liked?

Yes, there is a difference.

There will be times when you find yourself in situations where you will have to make a choice between doing something because your friends want you to or not doing it because you think it's wrong.

When faced with such a choice, will you go along with your friends because you're worried they won't like you if you don't, or do you stand up for your beliefs and do what you think is right?

This can be a very difficult choice. By going against the crowd you may become the subject of ridicule, gossip and may become an outcast. But, if you go along with the crowd just to stay friends, you lose respect for yourself and lose the respect of your friends as well.

That's because your friends may start to see you as a pushover: someone who will do anything they ask just to be liked. They may start to use you.

On the other hand, if you respectfully stand up for your beliefs, your friends may be upset with you for awhile, but if they were really your friends, if they respect you, they will still be your friends. In fact, they will start to see you as someone who is honest, dependable, trustworthy, principled and honorable. They will see you as someone with integrity. Instead of losing respect for you, their respect for you will grow.

There's a word for people like this: Leader