The Case for Respect: Who You See Isn't All They Are
Many years ago, some of the young people I was leading greeted me in the presence of my boss, and my boss was surprised.
"Femi, se iwo ni won n ki beyen?" (Femi, are you the one they are greeting that way?)
My boss’s reaction suggested that she believed I didn’t deserve that level of respect since I was only an apprentice.
In my mind, I thought, "You’ve only seen one side of me. I may be an apprentice here, but I am something else to others."
Make it a duty to respect people regardless of who you think they are to you, especially in public or corporate settings. Always treat people with dignity and ensure they feel respected in public.
Even if the person is your child, remember they may hold significant roles elsewhere—perhaps as a senior prefect at school, the president of a fellowship, the leader of a club, the captain of a team, or the sisters’ coordinator.
Don’t make them feel inferior in those settings simply because they are your child.
Likewise, if your younger sibling or friend has grown to achieve significant milestones—married, with children, and now holding a PhD—you should avoid casually or disrespectfully addressing them by their first name in public, especially in the presence of people who hold them in high regard.
This is the year to do better.
This is the year to not let your age, position, wealth, or connections dictate how you treat others. Respect the cleaner, the gateman, the street vendor—respect and honour people regardless of who you think they are.
Make it a core value to truly value people.
As 1 Peter 2:17 commands us: “Show proper respect to everyone…”
Consider this:
David showed respect and kindness to a sick Egyptian, who in turn helped him recover everything he had lost (1 Samuel 30:11-19).
A slave girl in Naaman’s house provided the information that led to his healing (2 Kings 5:1-14).
Joseph, though mistreated in Potiphar’s house, rose to become the second most powerful person in Egypt (Genesis 41:41-44).
No one, regardless of their status, deserves to be disrespected.
Thanks for this valuable piece sir