I’ve often noticed something unsettling — in many parts of the world, the thing people respond to most isn’t wisdom, kindness, or integrity. It’s power.
Not the quiet power of influence through ideas or compassion, but hard power — the kind that comes from a position, a title, a fortune, a clan name.
I’ve seen people with little to offer in terms of intellect, decency, or vision command exaggerated respect simply because they hold a position of authority. Some wear this like a badge, broadcasting their dominance so loudly that they make it clear:
you will respect me, whether you want to or not.
History is filled with cruel kings, venomous scholars who spread hate, and people who cause endless harm — yet still they are addressed with honorifics, bowed to, and publicly celebrated. This isn’t the kind of respect that springs from admiration or love.
It’s the conditioned, performative respect that comes from fear, survival instincts, or social norms.
It makes me wonder — have we collectively mistaken submission for respect? Are we so conditioned to equate power with worth that we forget to question who truly deserves it?
And here’s a more dangerous question: if one day we stopped offering this automatic respect to people who thrive on fear and dominance… would their power start to crumble?
Power often survives not only because of the person who holds it, but because of the audience that validates it. If that validation dries up, what happens next?