http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/09/17/imo-view-respect-earned-not-imposed-fear.html
“You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.”
(Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)
My dad used to say “respect a person because of his/her character, not of his rank (status) or wealth.” I was a kid then. I didn’t know what he meant by such admonition. All I witnessed back then was my father used to confront anyone who did something against the prevailing rules and laws no matter what rank or status they had. He disliked ruler without character, and was not afraid to show it. He was considered too vocal in voicing what he believed as truth. While his principle garnered him a kind of popularity amongst people in my village, such actions put him in constant debacles with those who held power. While he had acquired much friendship, he also got powerful nemesis. Let’s say, his career was at a halt no matter how brilliant he was. Yet, I am always proud of him. He is my hero and I always look up at him as my role model.
Being in my post at the moment, I have the chance to observe various kinds of people, mostly those who hold power in their hands, people with rank from various departments. It’s quite fun to casually take a glance on how they interact with us, people who have no power. It's one of the many ways to chase off the routinely paperwork at my desk. It’s quite enlightening and sometimes wisdom can be extracted from incidents during unexpected moments. Then, I find that it is where I learn on what my father had advised me during my childhood. As quoted in the first line of this piece of writing, you can sometimes judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.
Well, most people will be nice and good to people who can help them and those who have rank and status. It’s normal for most people to be nice to their supervisors, rulers, kings, etc because they are obliged to do so lest they will get retribution if doing otherwise. But how do most people treat those who can do nothing to help them? How high ranking people look at those who are at the bottom of ‘caste system’ in their office, those who are powerless and have no capability for retribution? Well…Some might be indifferent, others are anywhere from haughty to hostile with the look as if saying “who are you addressing me that way?” It is a common knowledge that if an inferior speaks of injustice inflicted on them, the process will take a snail pace, and sometimes be put in the long waiting to solve lists. But, if people with rank speak the same, about injustice they suffer, they will get all the attention they needJ. On screen or in daily life, we often see the rich and powerful treat underlings, staff and hired help like dirt. It’s how a person treats his/her underlings (subordinates) speaks a lot about his/her character.
I always believe that respect is earned, not imposed by fear. I believe those who have character will earn respect, and it will endure longer. Respect by fear lasts only when a person still in holds of the rank.
“You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.”
(Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)
My dad used to say “respect a person because of his/her character, not of his rank (status) or wealth.” I was a kid then. I didn’t know what he meant by such admonition. All I witnessed back then was my father used to confront anyone who did something against the prevailing rules and laws no matter what rank or status they had. He disliked ruler without character, and was not afraid to show it. He was considered too vocal in voicing what he believed as truth. While his principle garnered him a kind of popularity amongst people in my village, such actions put him in constant debacles with those who held power. While he had acquired much friendship, he also got powerful nemesis. Let’s say, his career was at a halt no matter how brilliant he was. Yet, I am always proud of him. He is my hero and I always look up at him as my role model.
Being in my post at the moment, I have the chance to observe various kinds of people, mostly those who hold power in their hands, people with rank from various departments. It’s quite fun to casually take a glance on how they interact with us, people who have no power. It's one of the many ways to chase off the routinely paperwork at my desk. It’s quite enlightening and sometimes wisdom can be extracted from incidents during unexpected moments. Then, I find that it is where I learn on what my father had advised me during my childhood. As quoted in the first line of this piece of writing, you can sometimes judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.
Well, most people will be nice and good to people who can help them and those who have rank and status. It’s normal for most people to be nice to their supervisors, rulers, kings, etc because they are obliged to do so lest they will get retribution if doing otherwise. But how do most people treat those who can do nothing to help them? How high ranking people look at those who are at the bottom of ‘caste system’ in their office, those who are powerless and have no capability for retribution? Well…Some might be indifferent, others are anywhere from haughty to hostile with the look as if saying “who are you addressing me that way?” It is a common knowledge that if an inferior speaks of injustice inflicted on them, the process will take a snail pace, and sometimes be put in the long waiting to solve lists. But, if people with rank speak the same, about injustice they suffer, they will get all the attention they needJ. On screen or in daily life, we often see the rich and powerful treat underlings, staff and hired help like dirt. It’s how a person treats his/her underlings (subordinates) speaks a lot about his/her character.
I always believe that respect is earned, not imposed by fear. I believe those who have character will earn respect, and it will endure longer. Respect by fear lasts only when a person still in holds of the rank.
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