Class Corruption
By Colle Davis
The more wealth becomes concentrated in a society or country, the more demanding and bullying they are. The ruling class focuses on manipulating the laws and politicians to protect their status and perpetuate their power.
Genuine respect is granted to those who have earned it through their work. People are respected for what they have done, not their station in life. Politicians and ‘leaders’ forget this upon reaching positions of power. The new rule is fear-based respect.
Respect is not born out of fear, even though politicians, despots, and the militaries of the world want you to believe this myth. Fear reduces the options a person has available. The more restricted their options are, the more likely a few people will begin rebelling or start a revolution where the privileged may be displaced.
To test this hypothesis, pick any country and examine how wealth and power are distributed across the population. The higher the distortion between rich and average wealth, the tighter the legal and regulatory controls are, and the more corruption there is in the country. The rare exceptions are the Scandinavian countries; some of this malaise can be found here.
Those born into the privileged class act within their class rules and expectations. Their clan bestows the trappings of their status and encourages their cruel and uncaring behavior. Those who arrive at the privileged status take on the ‘hurray for me and f**k you’ attitude of snobs. Proper training for being at the top is tough to find, and on the job training is brutal.
Here is the toughest part to overcome. Privilege feels so good. To be on top is extremely intoxicating and addicting. Position is tough to give up and nearly impossible to walk away from today.
How can you use this new insight to enhance your career and life? Your greatest impact is in acting with civility and courtesy to everyone. Never accepting abuse or putdowns or using the tools of division toward others will enhance who you are perceived as. This behavior is equally important as it will reinforce the level of respect directed your way.
An attractive side benefit of being courteous and mannerly is that you appear more intelligent. Part of this may be from older, wiser people who display civility and are considered ‘good people’ and seen as more thoughtful than most people. You can ride that impression and enhance your value and influence by learning business etiquette.
Your future is now on track for being different because you use ‘Thank you,’ ‘You’re welcome,’ and ‘My pleasure’ in your everyday interactions. Presenting your authentic self to the world as kind, understanding, and careful, as well as being a good listener, reaps huge, ongoing benefits.
