About Respect and Prestige

Who doesn’t want them? Who is not affected by them even if we say we don’t admire them per se? Prestige has to be earned. Same as respect. I don’t think it can be bought in the long run. It seems at times that it can, however, but in the case of some of the magnates of the business world, who “enjoy” respect and prestige, we ask whether or not they have true, enduring respect. True, enduring prestige.

Take away the magnates’ money and see how much prestige they have. How much respect. Sometimes they are like the murderers whose Smith & Wesson has been confiscated—leaping from Kong to Mr. Chicken. In other words, we are big talkers all of us who have a weapon in our hand, who have handsome quantities of cash in the banks, who have a clean bill of health from dear Dr. Quack, and who have a rich old man or old lady footing the bills of our thoughtless purchases.

Bill Gates will always command prestige and respect in my eyes because he set up that humongous foundation to help his fellow beings—human and beast. So will other great souls such as Mohandas Gandhi, Albert Schweitzer, Billy Graham, Abe Lincoln, and so on. On the other hand, I could name a few well known magnates at this very moment who will never earn the respect and prestige we are referring to from anyone. With their millions and/or billions they cannot buy it. What they are the objects of are envy, flattery, and even fear (perhaps on the part of employees and other “dependents”). True, lasting respect and prestige can be earned only by someone who strives to be correct and proper in her or his life, someone who works toward alleviating the pains and pangs of a human life that is not routinely easy or to be taken for granted.

God help all of us. Author Agatha Christie once said the longer she lived, the sorrier she felt for humankind. I agree, but let’s not be depressed a whole day over it. Smile and the world… smiles back?