I was watching sometime ago, a live press conference on C.N.N. of the US President. Reporters were asking him some pointed questions on his Iraq policy. Trying to defend the indefensible, Bush was getting quite irritated.

Then some senior reporter from the US, obviously well known to Bush addressed him as Mr. Bush and asked a question. Bush instead of answering shot back, “Don’t you know who I am ?” The reporter, taken aback by this rude response took his time before responding with, “Yes ! Mr. President ! my questions is.”

Similar was the situation in a company I had worked for in the US. There were three partners. We used to call all of them by their first names. One day, a junior employee, who had recently joined the company, came to speak to the youngest partner and addressed him by his first name. “Call me sir !,” was the sharp retort from the boss.

Why do people put on airs ? Why do they wish to creat some distance between themselves and others ? Are they very impressed by their own importance ? Or, are they hiding their not so impressive personality behind their postions ? What do they gain by doing it ? I thought Bush’s behaviour was despicable.

A wise person should never ever act in such artificial way, no matter how high a position one reaches, since everthing is temporary. I have myself seen many high and mighly bite the dust. In the Bhagavad-Geeta, Lord Krishna cautions, “All material achievements are temporary, liable to be taken away at death, if not earlier (10.34).

“The strength, the ability, all these came from Me” (7.8-11). We should have equal vision towards other living entities (5.18), and should treat others with respect (18.54). If anything, God expects us to be engaged in beneficial works for others (12.4).

If one chooses to do otherwise, he or she shall be lonely, unloved, isolated, unpopular, even hated. Such false sense of superiority is temporary, since both God and universal consciousness are forever judging, and rewarding and punishing. In short, artificial living does not bring any benefit in the long run.

I prefer to act with respct towards one and all, especially towards those who serve me. I have found that very rewarding, since we need relationshops, not strained ones. Let us behave like cultured human beings, if this is what we call ourselves.