Respecting people’s privacy

Many people consciously respect other people’s property yet sometimes fail to respect something even more important to a person which is his/her privacy. At times, people take it for granted that being close friends to someone means no barriers between them. Some people’s  idea of closeness is workable only in theory which includes revealing one’s secret totally to a confidant. But this does not work that way in reality. It is true that one would want to share most of his/her remote secrets with those close to him, but there is still something inside which one might not want to share with anyone. If a friend does not recognise, respect and stop at this border, the other person might begin to feel disgusted with intrusion, causing the friendship to weaken.

Every individual values his privacy. A private time with no one around gives you room to reflect on the most important issues in your live while private time with another helps to build close personal relationship with the one whom we choose to draw close to. To intrude in this is like stealing from someone or trespassing on the person’s domain. The right to privacy could refer to your right to be left alone or to your right not to share every detail with someone.

There are several different ways a person’s right to privacy can be invaded. When we respect someone’s privacy and do not go crashing in to where we are not invited, we show the person that we respect his right to truly be himself and only share with us that which he feels comfortable.

How important is privacy?  Privacy is as important as respecting other people’s opinions. When you respect a person, you allow the person determine the limit of your involvement in his life. “People that invade into other people’s privacy are those that have fidgety and unsettled minds. I consider them insecure and are only looking for a way to find a fault in the lives of those that they feel are better off and more successful than they are. If not, tell me why would anyone want to know every bit of what is going on in my life, is the person my guardian angel? If the person was, God would not have created him as human,” says Musa Yusuf.

Everyone should be entitled to a private life. We should not eavesdrop in people’s private conversations or read their private letters. These days, some people derive pleasure in reading other people’s text messages, which is not right. Yet, if we do so and find out something private in them, we should not discuss it with others. “I once had a friend that took pleasure intruding into other people’s privacy and staunchly defends his actions. But after he suspected that someone is poke nosing into his affairs, he realized that respecting people’s privacy was an important and worthwhile value,” explained Vincent Mark. “Most times, people feel that there is something fishy about the person and try to unravel it then end up violating the person’s privacy. Whatever the case may be, no one has the right to invade another’s privacy as in my own opinion such people are only shallow minded. Instead of focussing on enhancing their lives, they are busy digging into issues that are of no business of theirs. In fact, such people have more stinky issues in their closet that they protect very well. For me, I do not allow such people bother me or even get close to me as I believe that “shallow minds discuss people and try to bring them down while great minds discuss ideas and issues” and I have learnt to make that my watch word,” says Mercy Anuilika Okechuku.

It is important that we respect other people’s privacy if we want ours to be respected as failing to respect other people’s privacy is not just bad manners but could cost you much more than what you bargained for including the treasured friendship.