A truly great man will neither trample on a worm nor sneak to an emperor.
This aphorism from "Poor Richard's Almanack" means that if a person is truly "great,"--that is, one who possesses integrity--he/she does not have to be cruel or treacherous to one lower, nor does he/she have to be subservient to someone higher in status.
So often nowadays we see the sycophants at the workplace who climb "the corporate ladder" by fauning. They are the proverbial "yesmen" who sneak and inform upon their co-workers, etc. They steal ideas from others and pass them off as their own. They flatter their bosses, inviting them to dinner, taking them golfing, etc. But, the employee who has integrity is assiduous, diligent, and honest and fair in dealing with others, even those in positions below him/her. Sadly, he/she is often passed up on promotions, or even fired as the mediocre and treacherous do not want someone around who "makes them look bad." Still, this person is "great" because he/she retains integrity and has not "sold his soul" and become a hypocrite.
No comments:
Post a Comment