We are told Miss Bates is very well liked and extremely popular and even Emma admits “she is very much to the taste of everybody” (10) which does not exclude young people. I can’t see why almost everyone would like Miss Bates and yet have no respect for her.

The narrator says Miss Bates has “no intellectual superiority to… or frighten those who might hate her, into outward respect” (3) which I interpret to mean she has not the wit to earn respect by bullying people. As for anyone hating her I have not heard a word because she has had little exposure in twelve chapters and other than this comment which very likely belongs to Miss Bates we have not actually seen her interact with anyone:

"I suppose you have heard of the handsome letter Mr. Frank Churchill had written to Mrs. Weston? I understand it was a very handsome letter, indeed. Mr. Woodhouse told me of it. Mr. Woodhouse saw the letter, and he says he never saw such a handsome letter in his life." (2)