The other day, a father came with his son to meet me…He wanted some suggestions for his son (…I wish I myself had taken one from a person wiser than I am). Couldn’t resist being really affected by what I witnessed throughout the meeting (I mean, the way father was treating his son…)…So, this post!!
The greatest irony of our society is that we relate respect with factors like age, gender, creed and cadre rather than the factors like potential, contribution, genuineness and performance. We believe that by virtue of being a boss or a rich or a senior citizen, we are entitled to get respect.
Its corollary can be that because someone is a peon or earns less or is younger in age, it is not necessary to give him respect. This is ridiculous! People should not be characterized by what they have; rather they should be evaluated by what they do. It is all about using a fair criterion! A criterion which does not depend on what you are bestowed with, but how you produce the deliverables!
In other words, it is about ‘Egalitarianism’.
It is an issue with our social system… Even in our families, the younger people don’t have a say until they become elders and there is a favorite saying in India “No matter how big you are, you can never become bigger than your parents”. That’s why parents decide the career stream their kids would take, without knowing even the full-form of the degree they want their kids to pursue…
Don’t misunderstand me! The respect for parents is a must and they are indeed the most important people in our lives, but I also see a hint of compulsive-respect coming across…So, parents should give advice and children should not overlook it… But, the children should also be given enough respect with their opinions.
Let’s see it this way… If you will keep on telling your kids what to do, then they will only be as wise as you are!
About Sandeep Atre
Dr. Sandeep Atre:
• Counseling Psychologist and an internationally recognized ‘Emotional & Social Intelligence’ Expert, with experience of more than two decades in helping people ‘sort out’ and ‘excel in’ intrapersonal and interpersonal matters. He holds a PhD in Management and a Master’s degree in Psychology (www.dratrecounsels.com).
• Founder of Socialigence – a venture specializing in development of ‘Social & Emotional Intelligence’ and its offshoot interpersonal skills through workshops and an award-winning online course rooted in neuroscience and psychology (www.socialigence.net).
• Author of two books related to his domain, namely - “Understanding Emotions Logically” and “Observing Nonverbal Behavior”; and third book on various aspects of life, named “Two Paras of Everyday Wisdom”. Moreover, the collection of his Nazms and Ghazals is published as a book titled “Baat Jazbaat Ki”.
• Corporate Trainer, with experience of close to two decades. Has conducted 150+ workshops/sessions for 50+ organizations & institutions like CSC, Cummins, Piramal, Ranbaxy, Lupin, Bridgestone, Michelin, Eicher, Maruti, Force, Idea, Airtel, NBHC, SBI, HDFC, L&T, Zydus, Thapar University, Banasthali, Narsee Monjee, Symbiosis, IIFM Bhopal, Azim Premji University, Nirma, Welingkar & IBS Hyderabad.
• Co-Founder and Director of CH EdgeMakers – a leading ‘Coaching and Training’ organization of central India for more than 24 years. He has trained close to 100 thousand students for ‘Soft Skills’ & ‘Entrance & Recruitment Preparation’ (www.ch-india.com).
• ‘Management Speaker and Orator’. Has featured at platforms like TEDx, IIM, IIT, NIT, CII, YI, CII-IWN, TCS, IMA, ICAI, ECA, ISHRAE, NEN, Sahodaya, Aditya Birla Education Academy, Round Table, LinkedIn Local, Rotary International, MP State’s Teachers’ Training, Academic Staff College DAVV, Police University Rajasthan, Police Training Academy Indore & more than 100 institutions.
• Member of noted associations and boards. Has been an ‘Executive Committee’ member of Indore Management Association. Associate Editor of IMA publications. Governing Council Member of Banasthali University’s SBBJ Centre for Research in MSME & Promotion of Entrepreneurship in Women. Executive Member of IMS, DAVV Alumni Association. Member of Rotary International’s ‘Group Study Exchange’ team to Minnesota, USA. ESI Coach with FWSA Australia.
Note: For glimpses of work, watch YouTube Channel ‘Dr. Sandeep Atre at Socialigence’.
