Bruce Schneier once said, “Privacy is an inherent human right, and a requirement for maintaining the human condition with dignity and respect.” In modern times respecting someone’s privacy and space is essential, especially if you don’t want yours to be compromised. No one can deny Aristotle’s statement that “Man is a social animal” and he can’t survive in isolation. People have been provided with the right to speak and freedom of making opinion, by legal authorities as well as by society, but it has some limitations. For example, parents think they have all rights to intervene in their children’s lives. They inspect rooms, phones, and other personal belongings of their children without even getting permission. But this is not right. Similarly, in a marriage, both partners expect from each other to open up, to share every good and bad, and co-operate all the time. This may sound good but it is extremely inhuman. Both have their own spaces which must be respected.
Privacy is a basic right of every individual. Stephen King wrote in his novel Heart in Atlantis, “Friends don’t spy; true friendship is about privacy too.” You cannot enter someone’s room without knocking. You cannot use someone’s belongings without asking. You cannot ask someone to tell you their secrets if they are not comfortable enough. You cannot judge someone or comment on them. You cannot push the relationship boundaries if someone doesn’t allow you to. It’s unethical and immoral.
Anthony Burgess stated in his essay Homage to Qwert Yuiop, “To be left alone is the most precious thing on can ask of the modern world.” We as a society often forget the boundary line of someone’s private life due to several reasons. We may have been born in a different society having some different norms. For example in the West it is common among males and females to shake hands and to hug each other on greeting while it is unacceptable in the Eastern countries especially in the Islamic states. We may cross boundary lines to protect or control someone like parents do. We may set our own expected boundary lines such as possessive partners do. Or sometimes we assume that others are thinking the same way, we think. And many times, it happens unintentionally especially if we don’t listen to others carefully. We as a society don’t notice such things because they have been embedded in the very root of society.
Cutting the story short, respecting someone’s privacy can be easily defined by one’s own boundary line of respect. If you consider yourself capable enough to handle your issues by yourself, let others handle their issues as well. Every person has his own self boundary of respect, make sure to understand it and take account of it. Many people like to spend self-time like reading a book by their own or enjoying coffee by themselves. Just respect that choice of theirs. If someone is saying No to your invitation, accept that and don’t argue. If someone wants to move on, let them and respect their decision.
There are some basic principles to respect other’s privacy:
1. Listen to the other person with full attention. Give them space to talk and try to understand what they say.
2. Try to focus on the verbal cues anyone gives you during a talk. Such as “Knock the door before entering”.
3. Consider and remember that everyone has his own goals, plans, feeling, in sum- whole life. So respect their space and accept it.
4. One of the most important principles, pay attention to the body language of the other person. Gestures speak louder than words. For example, if someone’s stepping back a little, it means you are standing too close.
5. Never ever touch someone’s mobile phone, laptop, documents, and other such belongings without permission.


The author is a consultant in Public Relations and Personality Types. Instagram: @Tipsbyhalahill