Dignity of Labour - Do you really practice it?

@cbeee3 (2061)
India
May 17, 2009 5:29am CST
Hey to all myLotters.Hope your weekend is going rather well. I have a question.We all talk about Dignity of labour. But how many of us really practice it? Would you treat a person who fixes your cable the same way you treat a Doctor? This thought came to me because I know several people in my personal life who have spoken to me about this topic,yet who do not follow it.So feel free and please share your views.
4 people like this
10 responses
@Maryam27 (411)
• Pakistan
17 May 09
it completely depends on that person and on how good he is with whatever he/she is doing. I don't have a problem in giving respect to a peon or a watchmen or a tailor, i do respect them and greet them with a smile on my face. But if a person is rude or sick or ill-mannered himself, than i won't respect doesn't matter if he/she is my co-worker, maid or some minister. Good topic and nice observation Cbeee. I would like to hear you opinion about it too :)
2 people like this
@Maryam27 (411)
• Pakistan
18 May 09
I also respect everyone irrespective of their status and their job. But if they don't know how to respect or behave then i would also walk away but not with a smile but with a look they'll long remember ;)
1 person likes this
@cbeee3 (2061)
• India
18 May 09
haha..well said.. ;)
@cbeee3 (2061)
• India
17 May 09
Hi there Maryam.I liked your response. Its positive. I am a big supporter in the idea of Dignity of labour.I hope I don't sound like a show off,because that is not my intention :) . I respect everyone,no matter how old they are or what they do. I try and look at the person I am dealing with just like you,rather than the job they do. Also, jokes apart, if someone is rude to me then I normally tell them "You can drive your point across even without raising your voice or using abusive language".If they still persist with their rude attitude, I just smile and walk away.No use getting worked up,now is there?
1 person likes this
@sona22 (1430)
• India
17 May 09
No, I have give up the idea. At a timeI was respecting everyone without considering their jobs. Almost all of them was not fit for that. When I used to say a rickshaw puller in a respectful salutation the nothing but demanded excess fair. And so on. Now I started to call them like others, hai rickshaw!, I am getting better resonse and paying actual fair. It is the irony of my fate, whom I tried to give the same treatment I have been cheated.
@Maryam27 (411)
• Pakistan
17 May 09
Well Sona, that's negative thinking, I know everyone is entitled to their views and so are you but again please don't get dishearten by this. World is full of different people and not everyone is the same. Try to be nice to nicer people at least if you can't be nice to everyone. I hope you get the same response back :)
@cbeee3 (2061)
• India
17 May 09
Thanks for responding Sona. I am not here to advice anyone.But I would like to share my opinion.I hope I don't offend you. Please try and be kind to everyone.If one person is rude, it doesn't mean we have to be too.Also,the instance of the rickshaw puller.Well,You can be firm yet respectful.This way you won't have to pay more..lol..:)
1 person likes this
@sona22 (1430)
• India
17 May 09
Thanks for the reply. I know you are correct to some extent. I should not behave like that. But I was disheartened. To them my politeness was weakness, my respectful talk was pity and woman to cheat. When I firmly argued they shouted as I was a bad woman. But one day when I talk one of them after a long coversation in such a way ,"You nonesense puller! what are you thinking? I am showing my gentelness and you are trying to tae extra fair". The puller just shocked and left away by the exact fair. From then I have changed myself with a lot of agony. But when I find a good man I aobviously behave with him gently with respect. I like to thanks you again for giving me suggestion.
1 person likes this
@sid556 (30959)
• United States
18 May 09
Yes, I do. I respect anyone who works and does a good job at whatever it is they do. The way I see it ....someone has to do it. The doctor who fixes my heart would be clueless as to how to fix my cable when I have a problem. All jobs are important. It's all about the pride one takes in his/her work and their attitude.
1 person likes this
@cbeee3 (2061)
• India
18 May 09
Touche to that! Thanks for your response :)
@baileycows (3665)
• United States
18 May 09
I just try to treat everyone how I would like to be treated. I am lucky that I have a really good job, but I could be a grunt laborer pulling wire for an electrician in an attic or something. So I just put myself in their job and how they must feel. Then I treat them how I would want to be treated.
1 person likes this
@cbeee3 (2061)
• India
18 May 09
That according to me is a very good attitude. :) Well said!
• United States
18 May 09
Hi cbeee....I think everyone should be treated equal regardless of the type of work they do. They are out there making a living and taking care of their families and obligations as everyone should be doing. I am going to treat the man who picks up my garbage the same as I would treat my attorney or physician. They deserve this respect for doing their job with the best of their ability. Although some may think that becasue people go to college to further their learning for a profession, some are not lucky to be able to afford this luxury, but they are out there working and doing a service just like the educated man is doing. I have no prejudice and think everyone should be treated equal until they give you a reason not to. flutterby
• United States
18 May 09
You are so welcome, my friend. Thanks for a great discussion!!!
@cbeee3 (2061)
• India
18 May 09
I agree with what you had to say.Just because some of us had the priviledge of having opportunities to uplift us to a certain "strata" of society,it does not mean we need to disrespect others who could not get there. Thanks for your wonderful response
• Pakistan
17 May 09
Every one who works hard and earns his livelihood deserves our respect and admiration. Every one of us must realize the dignity of work. There is no shame in doing our work by our own hands. Yes, I treat every hard working person equally and try to reward them befittingly. Labourers are also respectable for us, for they do a great job for us. Never underestimate anyone, for God has not created anything without purpose.
@jmlynn (46)
• United States
18 May 09
Kudos for this post! Me too! This is my thinking exactly. I could never be down on someone (or less respectful) because of their job.
1 person likes this
@cbeee3 (2061)
• India
18 May 09
Heartning to read what you both had to say.Thank you for your response.
• India
18 May 09
well, dignity of labour is something we Indians are sadly lagging behind and I believe its one of the main reasons why our country is lagging behind. Here people with little education and doing menial jobs are really looked down upon…they earn less and the social position depends mainly on how much they are earning and what their profession is. frankly speaking, I am not immune to this practice around me…we still have sweepers and servants and labourers who are not really allowed into the house and shown respect. Well, civility is there (even this was lacking a few decades back) but respect is definitely not there. And if you see it from a practical point of view, this is prevalent everywhere. In my office itself, the receptionist gets the least respect…she is thought of more as a dumb beauty who can just talk and smile and dress well! As we move in, the respects start increasing too…from the secretary to the manager at top and then of course there’s the boss! So it finally comes down to the type of work we do…it defines how people react to us and what they expect of us. As I said, nobody is rude to anybody and courtesy is always there, but respect depends a lot on the type of work we are doing.
@cbeee3 (2061)
• India
18 May 09
So you are talking about Indians here? Well I am an Indian,yet I don't disrespect people just because they don't do a fancy job. I am an Engineer and I infact used to talk to a lady who cleaned the restroom in our office.She was a wonderful person.I would respect her more than a boss who is rude. I don't think the Job you do has anything to do with the respect you deserve.
• India
20 May 09
Being an engieer, will you have family relations with a lady who is a cleaner or sweeper or maybe a guy who is a trucker?
@cbeee3 (2061)
• India
21 May 09
Excuse me, but why are you going into hypothetical situations? That is not the purpose or intent of this discussion. It doesn't talk about, "what if". Dignity of labour is just about treating everyone,irrespective of their jobs,with respect. If someone is rude you may be rude.But it should not be governed by what the person does!
@chrissieatu (1033)
• China
18 May 09
Theoretically, I think so. However, I am not sure of it practically, especially when I am at work. Everybody would like to have a better job, including me. Thus I think in this way, I am not practicing this rule. If I practice it, it will be the same to me no matter what job I am doing.
• India
17 May 09
Hi! I think treating people good or bad is inborn. This is due to the type of sorroundings and circumstances we grow up. I person brought up in slums or bad sorroundings would not generally be polite to any one. But a person brought up in decent and well off family would be more likely to treat people on a proper manner they deserve. Now leaving all the hipocracy aside do we treat a air hostess and a waiter from a small tea stall in same way?? I agree with 'sona' that if we give more respect to a non deserving person then we end in a sorry state.
@cbeee3 (2061)
• India
17 May 09
As far as talking to an air hostess and a waiter is concerned,I treat them the same way.I don't see any reason why they should be treated differently. Just because someone does a certain job,does not make the person any less respectable. I agree that the environment, peer group and other circumstances definitely shape a persons behaviour and social habit.But my question is why should we stoop so low as to follow someone else who is perhaps a little rude? A waiter who is friendly or a maid who is friendly deserves to be treated with equal respect as anyone else.That is what "Dignity of Labour" is, isn't it? It doesn't have anything to do with a person's behavioural traits.Rather,it has everything to do with the job they perform. Well, I guess to each his own. :) Thanks for your response!
@technoobs (406)
• Philippines
18 May 09
In my own stand, dignity of labour is being affected by a lot of factors. At the instance of looking back on what I have been into practicing such profession, sometimes I came across of being guilty not doing it since I do see that not all are being dignified in their work. Even at the modest that we do a big effort, always environment factors, personal factor, unfairness, these make them making us not so dignified to our professions.