18 May 2011

On Respect and Law Profs

"Intelligence is when you spot a flaw in your boss's reasoning. 
Wisdom is when you refrain from pointing it out."
-James Dent


Our class volunteered to prepare materials for those who are going to take the upcoming bar exams. It was just like a camaraderie building activity. Our professor became the topic of discussion at one point, so I was listening keenly on what my classmates had to say:

"He's such an ass."
"He always makes fun of us."
"He has an "F defect!" He pronounces f as p as in "suffort for support and haffen for happen."
"He has problems with his  subject verb agreements, how can he write a book?"

Frankly, I don't mind the occasional lapses in our prof's grammar. Everyone makes mistakes once in a while. Only Grammar Nazzis take pride in  spreading those kinds of negativity. Unless your job is a copy editor paid to massacre another person's work, I believe in the exercise of tolerance and diplomacy. 

Maybe my classmates were so quick to point out the negative about our professor because of  lack of 
respect.  True, professors can be authoritative in class by using an overblown, swaggering style in conducting recitations (as most law professors often do), but that in itself, does not guarantee respect.  

Respect shows one's greatness. It is shown by being fair and just. It is shown by being calm under pressure. You know you are respected when people look up to you. They want to be like you because they have faith in your ability  to impart knowledge and simplify what is hard and complex.

We treat people with civility in general, but genuine respect emanates out of concern and empathy. It is measured by how we treat our co-equals and most especially, our subordinates. 

Genuine respect is earned, not demanded. It is so easy to forget, especially for teachers of  law who are so concerned with "putting on a show,"  rather than teaching. They forget that by treating  their students like crap - they will get the same crap -  maybe not inside the classroom, but once they turn their back. 


*Credit: Sweetpea

6 comments:

khantotantra said...

minsan, ang mga students they say comments like for the defect of the prof but in their hearts, somehow, they hold high respect. ehehe.

pusangkalye said...

kabog ako don sa quote sa taas.toinks**the problem is--its not easy to hold it sometimes.guilty ako dyan.lols

sterndal said...

natawa ako dito ah "a copy editor paid to massacre another person's work" :)

grammar nazzi ako pero sa sarili ko lang haha

Unknown said...

I had one teacher way back on High School who has somethimg like a defect for 'F'. The most popular quote he had ever said was 'Fick uf the Feces of Fafer'.. :)

pmm012 said...

even it is not yet earned, i say respect should always be a default in any situation, even enemies should respect each other..

ka bute said...

typical sa mga pinoy ang pagiging grammar nazzi. dito sa pinas nakaka-degrade ng pagkatao pag di ka marunong magsalita ng ingles. taeng kultura. (hehe. ang bitter.) XD