Respecting your parents, your teachers, your bosses, the elderly, practically anyone in authority, that's what we've been taught as the morally right thing to do. What is considered socially acceptable and good, the right thing to do.
Oh, I can't wait to be a parent, an older person or a person in authority, that way, I be respected. That is exactly what we're also teaching children when we teach them to respect th elderly but we don't tell them anything about the elderly or people in authority giving back respect.
Respect is not a desire that comes in a person when they attain a position of authority over people, it's a natural human desire. Everyone wants to be respected. Even people with extremely low self esteem desire respect. They may not respond in opposition to disrespect because of their low self esteem but that doesn't mean they don't want the respect.
It's necessary that children respect parents, the main reason is that parents have a role of training the morals of a kid and without respect, the kid will simply no listen. But how about a case where after the kid givs respect, the parent doesn't seem to show any sign of respect.
The kid wll feel the pain of disrespect and that makes it harder to give respect since disrespect is all the keep getting from their parents.
It's easy enough to say, little one, knock on the door before you enter someone's room, and they say, yes mom or yes dad. Then the next morning they see you enter their room without knocking. Yes, you're absolutely justified by the fact that it's your house but your actions just erased the instruction of knocking a door in the mind of the kid.
Long story short, kids watch your actions more than your words. The best way to teach them is by doing to them exactly what you want them to do to everyone and the entire world.
Chances of the son of a reckless man or women being reckless is stupendously high. When adults start dating, they're aware that respect is a fundamental part of what makes the relationship healthy. A romantic relationship is not the only one that would stand or fall based on mutual respect. The relationship we have with our children also requires respect.
Respecting their space, being aware of the fact that they also have a dignity to protect. People tend to easily trust people that respect them. So wanting your kids to behave well an trust you, the seed to sow is your respect for them.
Also, I have seen and pretty much experienced what it's like to have a parent disrespect you and have a perception that it's ok for them to do so because they gave birth to you and invested in your life. Just because you do good to someone doesn't automatically mean it's ok to hurt the person. People respond positively to good an negatively to bad. They may show gratitude for your good but will respond defensively to your bad and even show by their expressions that they're not happy with that.
The point I want to make is that it's the most ideal thing to have everything being mutual. A CEO of a company giving respect to the security man will create an atmosphere where the security man will do his job to the fullest. It's actually more beneficial for the elderly to show respect to the young as the young ones are also required to show respect to the elderly.