What determines respect? 

…a person or his or her credentials, asks Gwendolyn Kou.

While I was channel-surfing one day, I tuned into a talk show hosted by four prominent women (Meredith, Joy, Star and Elizabeth) frequently joined by Barbara Walters. The morning talk show called “The View” focuses on debating the hottest issues and slightly unconventional ideas. That day the guest (I’ll call her Susan for continuity) on the show was a professor who turned hooker for a brief while in her otherwise respected profession. 

Of course, the most obvious question was: Why?! But it did not end there. Remarks were made about how a pedicurist can even manage to do the job she/he does: cleaning the feet of strangers is equivalent to being fucked by strangers. Well, looks like one only deserves respect if one is a top notch white collared professional. When Susan was a professor at a reputable institute she deserved everyone’s respect. But, the minute she switched professions she was treated like a sub-human. 

And that brings me to ask: Why is it that we attach so much importance to credentials and much less to being human? Is a pedicurist or a masseuse less worthy of your respect? These and many other professionals (hostess, call centre representative, elevator attendant, housemaid) lack the credentials to what a supercilious society might deem as a successful career: MBAs, Doctors, Professors, IT professionals, Journalists and so on. 

Have you ever considered that a carpenter might like his profession or a hostess hers? While both these professionals might not boast of MBAs or fancy designations, they do enjoy their work based on factors that are important to the individual. But, of course, that is not enough to gain your respect. In fact an artist (even more so if the person is a theatre artist) will get some degree of your respect; after all artists are considered to be intellectually inclined. Whether you are truly intellectual or not is besides the point. It adds to your prestige to support the theatre circuit or the arts in general. Any other profession will receive weighted respect or none at all. 

And why just limit that to professions. For that matter, God help the person whose moral code is slightly different from yours. You will spare no opportunity in rising to your pedestal. If that means crushing the other person, so be it. After all that unethical wimp doesn’t deserve your respect even if he did not harm you in any way. Just being different is enough to earn him your disrespect. Yet, we paint pictures of finding higher meaning in life but struggle to be truly human. Have you ever analyzed your behaviour towards “the less fortunate”? 

You will be shocked to discover how poor you are in spirit—glorious career profile intact. Try not to superficially display respect, that’s even worse! It shows how you really think. Respect is not a tradeoff and neither is it limited to actions alone. It begins in thought then the action follows. Respect is every individual’s birthright: so give it unconditionally.