Why is it so hard for humans to respect and consider others is it in your nature or is it a trait you learn?

Answer 1

Ultimately I think the way we treat others comes back to what we think of ourselves to a high degree. If we are proud and self-centred we will always put ourselves and our opinions first. We will not allow others to disagree with us, nor respect alternative views. Nor will we allow anyone who knows more about a certain subject to correct us.

For many people it will also relate to their beliefs about the value of people and about how we should relate to people. In other words what they have learned. This may run counter to a persons natural tendencies or it may complement them. In the latter case you have a doubling effect where an intolerant personality is added to by an intolerant belief system which may also have no love or respect for people inherent in it.

Examples of this occur when belief systems such as Atheism and Christianity clash. There are intolerant individuals on both sides of the fence, although I do not mean this in the sense of a valid defense or explanation but of an unreasonable and personal attack on the person holding the belief or value or the beliefs themselves. The difference is that, at least in theory, the Christian has a number of things which ought to keep them in check as far as respecting others (although the belief that Jesus is the only way is viewed by many as intolerant), whereas the Atheist (at least as far as I am aware) has nothing in theory to restrain them. Thus one more moderate Atheist Michael Ruse calls Richard Dawkins 'stupid' and essentially 'ignorant' for the way he attacks Christians. But the reason he gives is not necessarily related to the Atheistic world view but because he sees Dawkins' attacks as bad 'politically' for the position of Atheism.