BERMUDA REVISITED (2)
I continue to find much to admire in Bermuda. I didn't want to let the difficulties in getting to Bermuda I reported last week make me overlook how much I enjoyed my visit once I got there. As I've discussed before, Bermuda
Every time I visit Bermuda I am struck by how everyone seems to respect his or her fellow citizens and visitors as well. There's an immediate feeling that everybody you meet wants to help you, to make you feel better. Bermuda is in the tourist business so some would be suspicious but my feeling is that Bermudians have a genuine concern for visitors' well-being. The obvious mutual good feeling is a sign of genuine respect for everyone. The lesson is an important one: If we respect everyone we meet, we'll gain their respect and we'll all feel better.
In my business I often see the opposite, I often observe rudeness and disrespect. Disrespect so often becomes mutual and not only makes the accompanying interaction unpleasant but less productive as well. When you deal with someone who obviously does not respect you, no matter how hard you try you give a lower quality of service. But when you're dealing with someone who respects you you'll try much harder. When the respect is mutual, you don't even need to try hard to give the best service you can.
Bermuda is a small country and it could be literally true that everyone knows everyone else. Growing up in a small town, I learned early that behavior is improved when you realize that you'll see the same people over and over again and they'll see you. However, that only means that we have to try harder when we're part of larger and more mobile communities. Moreover, we're always dealing with small subgroups of a larger society and we will continuously interact with our subgroups.
Respect is contagious. If you respect others, it's more likely that they will respect you. While there are those who are so arrogant or so oblivious to others that they will never respect you, you can take secret pleasure in respecting them. While it's hard to respect some people you meet, there's always some good quality worthy of respect in everyone we meet. There's a homeless man who often approaches me for something with a story of temporary distress. I respect him for two reasons: One, I believe that we can never know how we would behave in the same circumstances and two, that he has enough pride to feel that his distress is only temporary (or that he should pretend it's only temporary), that with time he will be able to stop begging.
Let's try to respect everyone we meet. We'll gain more respect from others and our self-respect will grow. Maybe our communities will be as happy as Bermuda.
4-16-01