Describe an important value that your parents taught you

The most important value that my parents taught me is respect for others. By this, I mean treating all people with courtesy and consideration, whatever their age, job or background.

They taught it mostly through their own behaviour rather than through speeches. My father, for instance, always greets the cleaners in our building by name and asks about their families. My mother never speaks badly about people behind their backs. Whenever I was rude as a child, they would calmly ask me to imagine how I'd feel in the other person's place. I remember once I laughed at a classmate's accent, and my mother didn't shout; she just asked me quietly whether I would like someone to laugh at my mistakes in a foreign language. I felt ashamed, and I never did it again.

In my daily life, I try to apply this value in many ways. I listen without interrupting, even when I disagree; I'm polite to shop assistants and taxi drivers; and I stand up for classmates if someone is being mocked. At university, I've worked in a group with people from all kinds of backgrounds, and I found that respect made cooperation much easier.

I believe this value is important because it forms the basis of healthy relationships and a peaceful society. If everybody respected one another, there would be far fewer conflicts. It also tends to come back to you, since people respond to respect with respect.

I'm very grateful to my parents for instilling it in me, and I hope I can pass it on to my own children one day.