Yep, better to be respected than 'liked'. 'Liking' is fickle. Respect stays as long as you earn it. Those Mafia guys, crooks though they are, do have a point about 'being respected'.
Yep, when I was younger I wanted to be liked. After 30, I've found respect is better. Unfortunately, the Euros are correct in that we are still a relatively "young" country. Maybe we'll learn someday, I hope.