When humility defeats arrogance

When humility defeats arrogance

One inherent and common attitude only a few can kick out is the natural arrogance when situated in a better station in life and when ego is tested by a belief that demand for respect and love is paramount.

This problem besets many who think are situated in a good station in life.  They think they have power, they are rich, they are intelligent, they are educated, they are adored, or what else of this kind.  They think that for having possessed these qualities they ought to be respected by all others.  They think that if someone commits any act looked at to by these "power trippers" as disrespect in any degree, they have the right to slap, the right to shout at, the right to insult, the right to manhandle, or whatever act of arrogance.

This author was once embracing that wrong belief until he learned early on the beauty and power of humility.  The one having his fiefdom at a press group still is enmeshed with the belief that with his money he has the right to demand respect and love from others, including genuine journalists defined as persons who actually know and do the gathering of facts and who actually know and do write the facts into stories for broadcast or publication.

Until such persons are caught in the act and find themselves ostracized, they will not realize how bad their flaunting acts have been.  But still only a handful of their kind change because it is very obvious that this is one habit that is too difficult to break. That is, no matter how empathic Desiderata has been in saying: "Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit."  That is, no matter how Desiderata reverberates the truth: "If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself."

Now we have a case that occurred August 15, 2012 involving Mr. Robert Blair Carabuena and traffic enforcer Saturnino Fabros, Jr.

Carabuena drives a flashy Volvo and probably earns a hundred thousand pesos in monthly salary as a human resource chief of Philip Morris.

Fabros is a former soldier, a simple Ilocano who has managed to raise his six daughters as a single father with his meager P8,000.00 salary per month as a traffic enforcer.

In one stroke of bad faith, the Philip Morris executive and the lowly MMDA officer met.

Fabros signaled a stop to traffic from one road and directed those from the other to drive up.  Then came this flashy executive driving from the road that was on a stop.  Without any ado, he proceeded to drive his Volvo across and Fabros stopped him. At this point, the flashy fat man got off, shouted at Fabros and slapped the latter.  

Coincidentally, a media team was there. The substantive part of the incident was captured and recorded by a video camera.  

Unlucky for the flashy, hell now breaks loose against him, earning the worst public reaction. He was ostracized to the maximum, many demanding for his head and for his dismissal from his employment with Philip Morris.   The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) never let this thing to pass without judgment, considering that many of its brethren had been humiliated to the max by arrogant motorists.

It is unimaginable for Carabuena to have done this.  This is because he is the person tasked to keep the human resources of Philip Morris in its best by knowing how to manage the psychology of the workers and how to eke the best out of them.

This man heading a big group of journalists is much worse. He has slapped many, journalists or not, women or not.  He has the temerity to bully anybody with unprintable words that are obviously the psychological defense and offense of persons who are unschooled.  He has the guts to claim positions in government reserved only for those who are graduates of college, and entering the office by faking school records.

Let us manage our angst by placing ourselves in the shoes of our "enemy of the moment" and examine if you are right for the bullying and slapping.   If a dirty boy knocks on your car's window, will you give even One Peso? Which question can be answered best if you change position and be the dirty boy.   The beauty of humility is understood the most if we reverse the position: Fabros were the one shouting invectives and slapping Carabuena. 

 To show how the executive-vs-traffic enforcer incident occurred, the video below is shown: