They Don’t Respect You, Just Your Title.

Since childhood, I’ve believed one thing: people don’t respect you because you exist — you have to earn it.Age won’t get you respect, relationships won’t get you respect, and your designation definitely won’t get you respect.

Actually… let me correct myself. People do respect your designation — just not you, the human being behind it.

A Prime Minister or a President is a respectable office. But “Mr. Gregory, President of Gregory Town”? That guy is not magically respected because he wears a badge. His chair commands respect; his existence does not.

And this is where most people — especially kids today — get trapped. They think “Once I get a big title, people will finally respect me.”

But there’s a massive difference between respect for the title and respect for the person holding it.

Our subconscious mind plays dirty tricks on us. LinkedIn is the best example. Be honest — how many times have you felt nothing when someone’s profile said “Software Engineer at XYZ Pvt Ltd”? But the moment you see “Google, NASA, Microsoft”… suddenly your thumb stops scrolling.

You don’t know the person. You don’t know their values. You don’t know if they’re kind, rude, brilliant, or mediocre.

And You’re not respecting them. You’re respecting the logo next to their name. Its as simple as that. 

Incidents from My Life

I’ve never begged anyone to respect me — not because I thought too highly of myself, but because I learned early that respect shown and respect given are two completely different things.

Two years back, I was a “successful software development lead.” Big companies. Big responsibilities. Big ego boost.

People used to call me for guidance, tips, references — you name it.

Today? Same skills. Same brain. Same work ethic. But without a fancy title, I’ve suddenly become “that guy they can ignore.”Calls go unanswered.

Messages get left on seen. And don’t get me wrong, I’m not writing this from a place of self-pity — trust me, I’m way past that phase.

This is just an observation. And once you see it, you can’t unsee it.

Not just for yourself — for others too. The old saying fits perfectly here: 

Success comes silently, failure slaps in public.

And it’s not just me. I’ve watched people rise to the top and then stumble, and the moment they lose a title, the world quietly stops clapping.

I’ve also seen people turn into complete jerks the second they get a position — or maybe, just maybe, they were always jerks and the title simply amplified what was already inside them. But even then, when I look at them, I can’t feel angry.All I feel is sympathy — and a quiet hope that they never lose their title, because if they do… the truth about how this world treats “former somebodies” hits harder than any lesson life can teach.

Real-Life Incidents That Prove the Point

Harry S. Truman — From President to “Just Harry” Truman, the 33rd President of the United States, left office in 1953 and instantly discovered how brutal the world can be without a title. No pension. No security. No VIP privileges. The man who rebuilt Europe and shaped world history was suddenly almost broke — and ignored by the same world that once saluted him. He even refused corporate offers because he believed it would “commercialize the presidency”, when in power. But after leaving the title, it just went.

Steve Jobs — Fired by the Company He Created When Jobs was kicked out of Apple in 1985, the world didn’t bow to him. Overnight, he went from “Apple’s Genius” to “that guy who failed at his own company.”Same brain.Same creativity.But no title = no respect.Years later, when he returned as CEO, the world rediscovered the same man — suddenly “visionary” again. Funny how that works, right?

Indian Bureaucrats After Retirement Ask any IAS officer.While in office, everyone stands up the moment they enter a room.Calls get answered on the first ring.People fold hands, offer chairs, speak softly.But the day they retire?Silence.Suddenly, the same people who said “Yes sir, absolutely sir!” walk right past them.

Respect for the chair, not the person.

Conclusion

There are many reasons behind my 5 . 4 . 3 . 2 . 1 tattoo, and I am thinking of writing a blog mentioning all of them, that will come later though, topic for another day. But for now, one of the biggest reasons was this perspective.

Never get so attached to a position that you start believing you are the position.

One moment you’re a 5. One bad day, one job change, one life event — and you can drop back to 1.

Likewise, one tiny opportunity can take you from 1 to 5 in a heartbeat.

The tattoo reminds me — and anyone who asks — that life is a pendulum.We rise.We fall.We rise again.

So work, live, and behave in a way that people respect you whether you’re at 1 or 5.

Because real respect has nothing to do with the title on your visiting card — and everything to do with the person holding it.