Over the past few weeks and months, the topic of respecting people seems to be working its way into my head in one way or another. I feel like all problems big or small seemed to be routed in the way we respect others. Be it people hurrying on the roads elbowing others, jumping queues, being late to meetings, leaving public toilets dirty and a whole host of other things. I'm sure that the ones I've just mentioned are things that many of us complain about and talk often about but it seems trivial to be rooted to respect isn't it? May be it isn't from your point of view but here's how I see it - if people had respect for other people's time, emotions, capabilities and believed that each of us deserve the best of what life can offer then wouldn't we be more willing to stop and think and possibly do the right thing? Take for example the way people leave public toilets - if one were to think about the next person who has to use it or the person who would be cleaning it and respect their right to hygiene and some dignity (in the case of the one cleaning it), wouldn't one be more willing to leave the place clean. While jumping queues, if one were to think that the person waiting before them is also there trying to get this done as it is important to them and their time is as precious as mine and they have equal amount of brains as myself and have good reason to be waiting their turn, wouldn't one stay put in one's place? Think about stopping at traffic lights - people who honk from behind you while the light stubbornly stays red - if one were to think that the person waiting at the line is not jobless, not stupid but cares enough to make sure that others on the road have an equal chance at safety, wouldn't one be patient enough to wait? In some of the examples I've mentioned above, what worries me more is that sometimes these behaviors seem to stem from an attitude which says "I'm paying for some of these things and therefore my right to misuse/exploit something or someone is inarguable and therefore I'm not at fault".
The above cases are all routine annoyances and it seems a bit of a stretch to be becoming righteous about it when compared to this one which is one of my biggest grouses - the way adults are treated by people with some sort of authority in professional environments. Of course, these environments are not the only places relevant in this context - there are the governments, lawmakers, parents sometimes, well meaning elders and so many more but I'm not even going there for obvious reasons! I often come across people with any sort of authority - perceived or real, permanent or temporary - to be making decisions for others with this unshakable sense of being the one that knows best for 'people'! Let me be clear here - I'm not against leadership (in fact, I'm all for it) but I just see leadership like what it is - leading one's own self to be the best possible they can be. If that happens to inspire others to be good and do good then it's an achievement to be proud of - nothing more. In most environments I see a burning desire to 'dumb down people' with the notion that somehow this makes people's lives easier and more enjoyable. I'm stricken by how these are even tagged as what people expect when in reality none of us can even come close to understanding all about what even a loved one wants, let alone strangers, friends or colleagues. So, why do I think people do this? More often than not, it is to do with doing what comes easy. It's easier to deal with black and white than with grey or the entire spectrum in between or trust people to think, understand and act reasonably (things that are natural to all human beings). It's often also to do with one feeling in control and being the doer who is generally seen as the achiever rather than being the quiet hand that guides one to his/her best self.
The capability to think, act and deal with the consequences is part of how human beings were made to be so it's ironic that many undermine that basic human capability. What's more saddening is that most of us think nothing about being 'dumbed down' because when were populist notions ever easy to beat!
The above cases are all routine annoyances and it seems a bit of a stretch to be becoming righteous about it when compared to this one which is one of my biggest grouses - the way adults are treated by people with some sort of authority in professional environments. Of course, these environments are not the only places relevant in this context - there are the governments, lawmakers, parents sometimes, well meaning elders and so many more but I'm not even going there for obvious reasons! I often come across people with any sort of authority - perceived or real, permanent or temporary - to be making decisions for others with this unshakable sense of being the one that knows best for 'people'! Let me be clear here - I'm not against leadership (in fact, I'm all for it) but I just see leadership like what it is - leading one's own self to be the best possible they can be. If that happens to inspire others to be good and do good then it's an achievement to be proud of - nothing more. In most environments I see a burning desire to 'dumb down people' with the notion that somehow this makes people's lives easier and more enjoyable. I'm stricken by how these are even tagged as what people expect when in reality none of us can even come close to understanding all about what even a loved one wants, let alone strangers, friends or colleagues. So, why do I think people do this? More often than not, it is to do with doing what comes easy. It's easier to deal with black and white than with grey or the entire spectrum in between or trust people to think, understand and act reasonably (things that are natural to all human beings). It's often also to do with one feeling in control and being the doer who is generally seen as the achiever rather than being the quiet hand that guides one to his/her best self.
The capability to think, act and deal with the consequences is part of how human beings were made to be so it's ironic that many undermine that basic human capability. What's more saddening is that most of us think nothing about being 'dumbed down' because when were populist notions ever easy to beat!
No comments:
Post a Comment