[Redway]

This thread’s been posted on Reddit recently but I think it’s a good fit for here, too; so here we go. Let’s ball.

We’re all human (painfully-so) and hence there ain’t one of us above being disliked (and, in-turn; disliking others) but there’s also a certain level of fundamental, basic respect that you can afford someone (respect for their dignity; their boundaries, spoken and unspoken; their humanity) whether you personally vibe with them or not, whether they’re personally your cup of tea, for whatever reason (conscious and subconscious alike). But if it’s a tug of war between like and basic respect, what you tugging towards your side? Does superficial social validation (or on sturdier principle, just a feeling of positive resonance between you and individual people in the world around you) eclipse fundamental respect (for your dignity, boundaries and overall humanity) or would you rather be disliked but fundamentally respected in that regard (not roped into toxic gossip or having your overall personhood disrespected or exploited from afar)? To what extent can someone, implicitly or explicitly, undermine your boundaries before you set yourself apart from their toxicity even if they say they actually like you otherwise?