75+ Powerful Respect in Relationships Quotes to Strengthen Love and Trust

It’s hard to believe that someone can love you, but still not respect you.

We think that love and respect are two sides of the same coin and that one cannot exist without the other.

But respect is not a given in relationships.

Lack of respect causes breadcrumbing, manipulation, and many other issues.

This collection of respect in relationships quotes will help you put your thoughts into words and maybe even help you solve some problems.

Respect In Relationships Quotes

1. “I cannot compromise my respect for your love. You can keep your love, I will keep my respect.” – Amit Kalantri

2. “Respect is what we owe; love, what we give.” – Philip James Bailey

3. “You will gain more respect and esteem through listening rather than through talking.” – Clive Harman

4. “Love is honesty. Love is a mutual respect for one another.” – Simone Elkeles

5. “If you are not being treated with respect, don’t be a doormat.” – Robert Rain

6. “The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life.” – Richard Bach

7. “Respect is a two-way street, if you want to get it, you’ve got to give it.” – R.G. Risch

8. “Respect is appreciation of the separateness of the other person, of the ways in which he or she is unique.” – Annie Gottlieb

9. “If you want to be respected by others, the great thing is to respect yourself. Only by that, only by self-respect will you compel others to respect you.” – Fyodor Dostoyevsky

10. “Respect is one of the greatest expressions of love.” – Miguel Angel Ruiz

11. “How people treat you is their karma. How you react is yours.” – Wayne W. Dyer

12. “Once you figure out what respect tastes like, it tastes better than attention. But you have to get there.” – Pink

13. “In finding love, I think it’s important to be patient. In being in a relationship, I think it’s important to be honest, to communicate, to respect and trust, and to strive to give more than you take.” – Kina Grannis

14. “I would rather be alone with dignity than in a relationship that requires me to sacrifice my self-respect.” – Mandy Hale

15. “Respect requires empathy, the capacity to anticipate and understand the feelings of others. It requires consideration.” – Deborah Norville

16. “A loving relationship is one in which the loved one is free to be himself – to laugh with me, but never at me; to cry with me, but never because of me; to love life, to love himself, to love being loved. Such a relationship is based upon freedom and can never grow in a jealous heart.” – Leo Buscaglia

17. “If we lose love and self-respect for each other, this is how we finally die.” – Maya Angelou

18. “The truest form of love is how you behave toward someone, not how you feel about them.” – Steve Hall

19. “A great relationship is about two things: First, appreciating the similarities, and second, respecting the differences.” – Anonymous

20. “Most good relationships are built on mutual trust and respect.” – Mona Sutphen

21.“If you can’t respect her, you don’t deserve her!” – Udayveer Singh

22. “Nothing of real worth can ever be bought. Love, friendship, honour, valour, respect. All these things have to be earned.” – David Gemmell

23. “Respect means you acknowledge and honor someone’s boundaries. Without that, love can’t thrive.” – Esther Perel

24. “Mutual respect is essential in any partnership. It’s what helps love endure.” – Dr. Alexandra Solomon

25. “In relationships, small acts of respect build trust over time.” – Terrence Real

Poweful Quotes About Respect in Relationships and Love

1. “We all require and want respect, man or woman, black or white.” – Aretha Franklin

2. “There is overwhelming evidence that the higher the level of self-esteem, the more likely one will be to treat others with respect, kindness, and generosity.” – Nathaniel Branden

3. “If you treat people right they will treat you right… ninety percent of the time.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

4. “To love yourself, truly love yourself, is to finally discover the essence of personal courage, self-respect, integrity, and self-esteem. These are the qualities of grace that come directly from a soul with stamina.” – Caroline Myss

5. “Be more humble than a blade of grass, more tolerant than a tree, always offering respect onto others and never expecting any in return.” – Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

6. “Nothing is more despicable than respect based on fear.” – Albert Camus

7. “The respect you show to others (or lack thereof) is an immediate reflection on your self-respect.” – Alex Elle

8. “If we can respect the divine within us, if we can treat it with dignity, then we can respect others around us.” – Vishwas Chavan

9. “Men are respectable only as they respect.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

10. “Real respect is recognizing someone’s full humanity, even when you disagree.” – Brené Brown

11. “Listening without interrupting is one of the highest forms of respect.” – Jay Shetty

12. “Healthy relationships thrive on mutual respect, not just attraction.” – Nedra Glover Tawwab

13. “Respect is the foundation that all lasting love is built upon.” – Mark Groves

14. “To be one, to be united is a great thing. But to respect the right to be different is maybe even greater.” – Bono

15. “Every human being, of whatever origin, of whatever station, deserves respect. We must each respect others even as we respect ourselves.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

16. “Life is short, and we should respect every moment of it.” – Orhan Pamuk

17. “I must respect the opinions of others even if I disagree with them.” – Herbert H. Lehman

18. “Knowledge will give you power, but character respect.” – Bruce Lee

19. “I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university.” – Albert Einstein

20. “Respect for ourselves guides our morals; respect for others guides our manners.” – Laurence Sterne

21. “Be kind, don’t judge, and have respect for others. If we can all do this, the world would be a better place. The point is to teach this to the next generation.” – Jasmine Guinness

22. “Respect should be the first thing you give.” – Anonymous

23. “Never judge someone by the way he looks or a book by the way it’s covered; for inside those tattered pages, there’s a lot to be discovered.” – Stephen Cosgrove

24. “When you practice gratefulness, there is a sense of respect toward others.” – Dalai Lama

25. “Self-respect is the cornerstone of all virtue.” – John Herschell

26. “There are lots of people I admire and respect, but I don’t necessarily want to be like them. I’m too happy being myself.” – James D’arcy

27. “Once you take care of people, people respect you.” – George Weah

28. “Respecting someone indicate the quality of your personality.” – Mohammad Rishad Sakhi

29. “I cannot conceive of a greater loss than the loss of one’s self-respect.” – Mahatma Gandhi

30. “Respect your efforts, respect yourself. Self-respect leads to self-discipline. When you have both firmly under your belt, that’s real power.” – Clint Eastwood

31. “Respect is for those who deserve it, not for those who demand it.” – Paulo Coelho

32. “Responsibility and respect of others and their religious beliefs are also part of freedom.” – Horst Koehler

33. “Never pay attention to someone who has not earned your respect.” – Habeeb Akande

34. “I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me. All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.” – Jackie Robinson

35. “I will not try to convince you to love me, to respect me, to commit to me. I deserve better than that; I am better than that… Goodbye.” – Steve Maraboli

36. “When we treat people merely as they are, they will remain as they are. When we treat them as if they were what they should be, they will become what they should be.” – Thomas S. Monson

37. “Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?” – Confucius

38. “When we love and respect people, revealing to them their value, they can begin to come
out from behind the walls that protect them.” – Jean Vanier

39. “We don’t need to share the same opinions as others, but we need to be respectful.” – Taylor Swift

40. “One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say.” – Bryant H. McGill

41. “If you have some respect for people as they are, you can be more effective in helping them to become better than they are.” – John W. Gardner

42. “It may be important to great thinkers to examine the world, to explain and despise it. But I think it is only important to love the world, not to despise it, not for us to hate each other, but to be able to regard the world and ourselves and all beings with love, admiration, and respect.” – Hermann Hesse

43. “The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life.” – Richard Bach

44. “As all human beings are, in my view, creatures of God’s design, we must respect all other human beings. That does not mean I have to agree with their choices or agree with their opinions, but indeed I respect them as human beings.” – Stockwell Day

45. “Always remember the golden rule, respect yourself and do not allow other people to use you or take advantage of your weakness.” – RD King

46. “I guess at the end of the day, all women like to be appreciated and treated with respect and kindness.” – Sofia Vergara

47. “Respect commands itself and it can neither be given nor withheld when it is due.” – Eldridge Cleaver

48. “Respect is one of life’s greatest treasures. I mean, what does it all add up to if you don’t have that?” – Marilyn Monroe

49. “You can demand courtesy but you have to earn respect.” – Lawrence Goldstone

50. “Never trade respect for attention.” – Mel Robbins

Self-Respect Quotes In Relationships

1. “When you cultivate self-respect, you create the standard for how others treat you.” – Nedra Glover Tawwab

2. “Self-respect in relationships is knowing when to walk away from disrespect.” – Jay Shetty

3. “Don’t compromise your self-respect. The right person will value you for it.” – Mark Groves

4. “Your self-respect is the blueprint for your boundaries.” – Terrence Real

5. “A relationship without self-respect will drain your energy and peace.” – Dr. Alexandra Solomon

6. “The respect you demand from others starts with the respect you give yourself.” – Brené Brown

7. “The strongest relationships are between two people who respect each other and themselves equally.” – Esther Perel

How To Show Respect In Relationships

Showing respect in a relationship is about consistently honoring your partner’s feelings, needs, and individuality.

This means listening when they speak, validating their emotions, and avoiding dismissive or minimizing responses.

You show respect through small daily actions – saying “thank you”, acknowledging their contributions, and being mindful of their boundaries.

It’s also about giving them the space to be themselves without criticism or control.

Compromise is key – respect involves balancing your needs with theirs and finding solutions that honor both perspectives.

When disagreements come up, focus on solving the issue together rather than attacking each other personally.

Signs Of Respect vs. Disrespect In Relationships

Respect manifests in consistent, positive actions that build trust and emotional safety.

Signs of respect include open communication, active listening, and empathy.

It’s reflected in how your partner speaks to you – e.g. by using kind, thoughtful language even in disagreements. Support for your goals and personal growth also signals respect.

Disrespect, on the other hand, often shows up in dismissiveness, ignoring boundaries, and belittling comments.

Interrupting, sarcasm, and dismissing feelings are clear red flags. Pay attention to how they handle conflicts – respect prioritizes solutions and mutual understanding, while disrespect leans toward blame and invalidation.