Between the bindings of the book of common knowledge and daily maxims, the phrase "Respect is earned and never given" must surely be included. Over the past weeks and months, I have had the oportunity to critically mull this assertion in the context of a very isolated social environment. As a result of this reflection and observation, I have come to believe that the one who coined the phrase was guilty, as with many in the sciences, physical, literary, or otherwise, of oversimplification. Perhaps it is true that respect is doled as described by traditional belief, but I propose that this occurs only cosmically. In fact, in local instances, there may not only be occasional deviations from the aforementioned mean, but full blown violations.
In order to survive, we have found that it is necessary to allot a certain amount of respect to every person we come across. Through trial and error in our development, we discover that respect begets benevolence and evil begets strife: Karma. Furthermore, the existance of institutional heirarchies and titles perpetuates this phenomenon in such a way that graduated respect is given, depending on little more than three letters and a comma.
This setting does not necessarily oblige a clarification or amendment to tradition's claim, however, it is accompanied by a more sinister force that requires just such an action; This is to speak of theft. Again, I am referring not to larceny, but to the undue insistence of respect: The abuse of authority. More specifically, it is possible, through the means of being contrary, harsh, demanding, and unyielding, to swell one's preallocated amount of respect to an unfair and undeserved level. This, of course, by definition and its nature, necessitates a very firm barrier to prevent the abusee of identifying the hypocricy.
Stupidity could possibly be defined as deliberately performing acts that directly contradict your own actions, thoughts, and motivations for little to no reason at all. It would be stupid for a respect thief to require his subjects to witness his weakness and therefore topple his undeserved esteem.
Undoubtably, this fall will eventually happen in all cases. And surely, to be in a position of authority is to have endured much perspiration. From this, I can agree that, cosmically, respect is earned and never given, but add that temporary, local abberations to this law certainly exist.
I have lost all respect for my advisor.
