Beyond Basic Decency: On Worthy Respect

I respect those who are truly learned, the storehouses of wisdom. They are the custodians of knowledge and deserve to be addressed with honor.

I also respect the people of action, the doers and the movers. They actively bring about changes and believe in engaging directly to improve society and the lives around them.

As for the people who are both learned and active, I take them as gurus. They are rare, and one should become their disciple and stay in their company, seeking to absorb their essence through presence. One should also be careful not to upset them or dishonor them.

For all the above, they must be respected. This respect stands irrespective of their position in society, or their status in wealth, or their age.

As for the rest of the people, the majority, the real challenge is to deal with them consistently using etiquettes and good manners. Etiquettes and good manners must be maintained with everyone, since it is the basic foundation of human decency. I personally find it a challenge to maintain politeness with them at all times, even if they hold high position in society, or are wealthy, or are old. These people must be addressed according to their status in addition to the basic human decency, as no gain can be achieved by offending anyone in this category.