5 Things highly respected people do every day

While we often think that money and material goods will bring happiness, some research suggests that being respected and admired can actually be even more important for boosting happiness. And not only does respect seem to lead to increased happiness, it can help build stronger relationships with those around you. But how do you go about earning this respect? Here are some practices we can follow in order to earn respect:- 

1. They read 

Warren Buffett is one of the most respected investors and philanthropists of our time. A Google search reveals countless articles on Buffett's habits and traits we can emulate in the hopes of achieving some modicum of success. But perhaps the most surprising of Buffett's habits is his dedication to reading. He reportedly reads for approximately 80% of his day. We do know that reading helps develop a variety of skills and traits that ultimately help build respect. These include: a) Increased verbal intelligence, b) Improved understanding of social cues, c) Improved emotional intelligence.

2. They exhibit affection 

Many people assume that if they're smart enough, skilled enough, or competent enough at their job, they'll naturally earn the respect of those around them. However, competence is only the second most important trait for earning respect. Surprisingly, the first is affection. When we meet a new person, we ask ourselves two questions: "Can we trust this person?" and "Can we respect them?" Trust comes from being warm, while respect comes from being competent. But here's the catch: Trust needs to happen before respect. This means a person needs to find you warm before they can ever respect you. From an evolutionary perspective, it is more crucial to our survival to know whether a person deserves our trust.

3. Express the truth 

We know that people tend to respect those who are assertive. When someone is assertive, it conveys a sense of competence and power — both traits that are very attractive and help to foster a sense of trust. Being assertive can take many forms; however, simply saying no can be a great first step. The problem is that many of us worry we'll come across as overly negative or assertive. We think that if we say no too many times, we'll be seen as aggressive or difficult. But here's the good news: If you think you're overly assertive, there's a very good chance you're not. In other words, if you're worried you're being too assertive, you're probably OK.

4. They respect others 

Everyone knows that in order to be respected and you first need to be respectful. While there are obviously exceptions to this rule, this is a pretty basic tenet of earning the respect of those around you. According to the principle of spontaneous trait transference, others automatically attribute the same traits to us that we describe in them. This means that if we tell someone they're worthy of respect, they're more likely to feel we're also worthy of respect.

5. They laugh at themselves 

There are countless studies on how laughter has a positive impact on our health and well-being. We also know that humor can be a great way to improve relationships and defuse stressful situations.

However, when we're talking about earning and maintaining respect (particularly in the workplace), things start to get a bit murky. And this is even more salient when we're talking about the employer/employee relationship. As a boss, you want to be seen as having a good sense of humor, but you also need to be taken seriously.

Using humor to reduce social distance is likely a preferable strategy. Engage in good-natured joking as a way to help you appear more human, more approachable, and more supportive.