May I See Your Qualification?
For the longest time now, we have associated manners and etiquette with a person’s qualification. A college degree is what makes a person a personality.
But I beg to differ. Sure exposure helps, but I have met far too many ‘learned’ people empty on the inside. I know personalities who may be the most qualified, may have attended the best schools and colleges and yet to my surprise lack the class and panache expected of them. They may know the names of brands they wear but not the name of an employee that ranks lowest in the hierarchy. They may use the words ‘sorry’ and ‘thank you’ to get ahead in the race but not a kind word to the doorman or the domestic help that waits on them day and night. These are people who think they know it all and yet there is always someone they may be hurting.
What most of us do not see is the difference between a business-school-graduate who secretly enjoys an almost smug satisfaction at hitting people ‘below the belt’ to hide his deep rooted insecurities and an average being who knows when to keep his traps shut. The latter may not be able to decipher the Sensex or recite a Shakespearean sonnet for you, but will know the art of subtlety when it comes to dealing with people. A good degree does not guarantee maturity or true intelligence. It may make you smart but not necessarily the best human being. I believe it is your complexities and upbringing that play the trick here. Even the most blessed people can be the most sadistic and envious of anyone they deem better than them. It’s about how high a price you place on your ethics and principles. It’s all about convictions and how sure you are of yourself. It’s about how many ‘quality checks’ you put yourself through every now and then.
So peep in and kill these monsters if they have made a comfortable home within you – arrogance, superiority complexes, lack of empathy and the judgement gene are not the best of your friends!