Ever notice how quickly people respond when they think you’re someone “important”? (and lag when they believe you’re not?)

Or how differently they treat the person in the elevator before they know who they are?

I remember Bob Proctor used to stand quietly in the wings of a venue before speaking. Most people walked right by him — until he took the stage. Only then did they scramble to connect. Was it lack of awareness? Or just ego getting in the way?

Too often, respect is extended selectively — given to those we think we need something from, and withheld from those who don’t appear to benefit us. The receptionist. The junior team member. The salesperson. The man on the street.  But aren’t they all cogs in our wheel?

Perhaps the disregard is unconscious in that we are wrapped up in our own mission and have blinders on.  Or is it ego excused as strategy?

Aha! ~ Real respect is not selective.

It doesn’t rise or fall based on titles, appearances, usefulness, or social status. It’s not something we ration based on what someone can do for us. It’s a way of being – of who we are and how we show up, especially when there’s nothing in it for us.

Selective neglect can creep into many places:

• The salesperson (whose only goal is to make you look good)
• The frontline greeter (who just wants to show you the way)
• The airport janitor or security guard (doing “invisible” work that holds the entire system together)
• The neighbour without a home (dismissed by policy and pushed into dangerous cycles of neglect)
• The volunteer

When systems fail people, it’s often residents — not politicians — who bear the weight of care. These individuals don’t vanish; they just become easier not to see.

And when we treat respect as optional, we all lose a little humanity.

Integrity isn't tested in the spotlight. It's revealed in the quiet moments when nobody is watching. It’s revealed in how we greet, respond, acknowledge, and show up and not only in public. Every interaction, no matter how brief, holds a chance to see someone and remind them they matter.

It’s been said: "The way you treat someone who can do nothing for you says everything about you." That’s not judgment — it’s reflection.  Life is like a mirror.

I often tip janitors in public places.  They’re usually surprised but it’s a drop in the bucket compared to how much I appreciate their work.  I also make sure the golf services guys are looked after.  One crawled over a bunch of charging carts to find my cell phone that I left in the cubby.  $5 put a BIG smile on both of our faces!  We’ll share more examples in Human U.  Join us!!