We humans have a habit. We keep our houses clean, blowing the leaves of garden into the street or into the neighbor’s backyard. Not parking the grocery carts and leaving them abandoned in the parking area. Not flushing after using a public washroom, and then complaining about how unhygienic public washrooms are. We don’t even take care of our own books, let alone the library ones, leaving the pages with oil stains and multiple folds. We sometimes pick up something that doesn’t even belong to thing, thinking we would keep it back before the other person come back, so he won’t know, and we won’t even have to ask. How comfortable!
Respecting others also involves respecting their personal property and also the public property (since it is being used by all). We live in a world where everybody wants to be on the top, one person reaches there, the other wants to topple him off and be there, and on and on the wheel goes, crushing those on ground. We have no compassion for others. We don’t have second thoughts about the people who have to face the consequences of the mess we create of keep our interests fulfilled. Has this race towards success made us all incapable of respecting another person’s belongings?
You teach people how to treat you by the way you treat them and by the way you handle their belongings. Respect for other’s property involves not touching what isn’t ours without the owner’s permission. Respect for other’s property involves appreciating, recognizing and taking care of their things. Respecting other’s property involves being extra careful with things that aren’t ours- the owner has trusted us his belongings; it is our responsibility to maintain his trust. To understand what is yours and what not. To take care and respect the work of the people who make your life easier such as the gardener, the person who picks up your trash, the person who cleans your office, etc. Property does not only include materialistic property, it also involves intellectual property as well. Downloading pirated movies, e-books, music and other documents without authorization is both morally and legally wrong.
Do onto others as you would have them do unto you. So don’t give people are a hard time by misusing their belongings, be a respectable person. Even if it doesn’t mean anything to you, it may mean everything to them. No stealing. No dirty tricks. No sabotage. Fair competition. And try to find ways to co-operate instead of competing. Follow the golden rule. Help others. The more they succeed, the more you succeed.
Accept.
Respect.
Protect.
