On a Saturday afternoon on Canton Road, Hong Kong, it’s not uncommon to
see queues of luxury brand enthusiast outside of the store all day long in
order to get exposure to the latest designs. There have been instances of
shoppers asking for “one of everything”, in a Louis Vuitton store, such is
their wealth. One Saturday, I was on my way back from training with a huge
rucksack, scruffy trousers, and a wool hat; I went into a high end boutique
hotel wanting to use the gents, as you sometimes do! “Excuse me Sir, what would
you like?” Clearly not interested in actually helping me find an item, but
rather question what am doing in the hotel. “Just want to use the toilet if that’s
ok?” “They are for customers only, sorry.” Another evening, on returning from a
client meeting, with a suit and tie, with a pair of brown shoes, freshly
shaven, I walk into the same hotel lobby before getting home. “Welcome Sir.” “Can
I use the gents please?” “Certainly, right over there Sir.”
We were at an evening seminar on technology and regulation, and how the authorities and entrepreneurs in the two fields are working together to move forward. At the end, people crowded around the speakers to talk to them. Most people were in suits and ties, with another large portion in business casual, and one slightly elderly man in a yoga style t-shirt, with an Om on it, wire-like hair. I watched as people were looking at him and dismissing him as not worthy of talking to, he was on his own for a good while, before introducing himself to me proactively. Later, when talking to a person who knew him, he said he was one of the first to be highly successful in the start up scene decades ago and was just here giving advice to people. Once a few people got to know this, he gathered quite an audience.
The attendant at the boutique hotel, scanning people who enter, was
just working there doing his job, and based on information he has through his
and others’ past experience, trust patterns, stereo types, etc; they decide how
to act with individuals and groups. This is very much understandable, and it is
what we sometimes call “human nature” when people have their roles and needs.
In a similar way at the seminar, people want to talk to people who would be of “value”
to them, worth their time, and therefore people differentiate between ranks,
net worth, success, and find the people that suit their needs. This is again “natural”
given the environment and macro-drivers.
Taking time out often gives a different perspective of “value.” What is
success? What drives my judgements of what will contribute to my success? What contributes
to my behaviour? When a child sees a mother, or a dear one, it is often driven
by love. Of course, it may be driven by needs such as wanting something, but
often times it is driven by love. Whether the mother is rich, or poor, the
child will love the mother naturally. It will happen in the war torn areas of
the Middle-East, and in the wealth filled areas of the “upper classes” of the
most developed cities. When we are constantly bombarded with definitions of
success by the macro-structures, and give ourselves little time to get away;
our judgements will use more so-called intelligence, and less heart. The more
we get time to contemplate, see different perspectives and people, the more we will
lean towards seeing with the heart. Intelligence will be used to understand the
macro-structures, interact with them appropriately, but ultimately use heart to
govern our interactions. This doesn’t equate to being soft and fluffy with
everyone; it means to respect the multitude of qualities in others, the
ultimate oneness of us at a deeper level, and be real human beings.
Krishna to Arjuna, Bhagavad Gita
“I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or
the president of the university.”
Albert Einstein
