VIR-III-0062
“I got the promotion and I'm still treating everyone exactly the same.”
Status has a way of changing how a man treats the people below him — quietly, before he notices. You got the title and kept treating the assistant, the junior, the new guy the way you always did. How you treat people who can't do anything for you is the truest read on your character. You let the win raise your responsibility, not your nose.
Your Practice
- Notice you didn't change how you treat people with less power. That's the test.
- Treat your inferiors as you'd want a better man to treat you.
- Use the new position to lift people, not to look down.
- Watch the people you stayed decent to become your most loyal allies.
The Architects
“Treat your inferiors as you would be treated by your betters.”
— Seneca, Letter 47 (Moral Letters to Lucilius, Gummere translation)