well, i read pretty much everyone's answer i agree to it to a certain degree only. in my point of view the first key to respect is manners + ethicates, if you have very high and good manners and u use them all the time you gain respect from others, if you treat people they like to be treated ( in respect) they would respect you back, if you think by having this and that or even confidance sometimes and no manners with it, sorry but there is no way that person would gain any respect from my side ( as i said my personal point of view, i could be wrong and i could right too )
it never hurts to be polite because sometimes the more polite and well mannered you are the more you out come other people that are not used to it and these people usually in order to defend there image they would be mean , than i would just suggest in this case that you are with the wrong people . that's all