A driver picks up a businessman from the United States at the Hong Kong airport. He was at the airport half an hour before the plane landed because he was worried about making him wait. Because the American businessman was riding the best airline in the world, he arrived on time. Holding a piece of paper bearing the name of the businessman, he found the businessman among the other passengers.

"Yup, it's me," says the entrepreneur.

The driver nodded kindly and asked the businessman to bring him to the car. The businessman refused kindly because he only carried one suitcase while in Hong Kong. "Want to go directly to the hotel or try Chinese specialties?" Asked the driver kindly.

"What is your recommendation?" Replied the businessman from the back seat.

"There is a good restaurant near the hotel. I think, you can try it before resting at the hotel."

The entrepreneur nodded in agreement. He was still tired after traveling from LAX airport in Los Angeles. However, new business talks are held in one day. He has a long time to rest and enjoy Hong Kong. This is his first trip to Hong Kong, so he wants to enjoy Hong Kong even though there is no natural beauty that can be enjoyed in the city state.

They enjoy Chinese cuisine. When the driver takes a different place, the entrepreneur asks the driver to sit at one table with him. He wants to be accompanied even by a driver. He asked many of the drivers about Hong Kong, even intimacy made them talk about personal matters like family. The entrepreneur does not consider it low even though his interlocutor is a driver. He really appreciates the driver.

***

The work day finally arrived. The entrepreneur came to his new business partner office in Hong Kong. When he entered the meeting room, he was very surprised because the one who greeted him was the driver who had accompanied him to eat yesterday. The driver who turned out to be an important person in the company, disguised himself as a driver to see how prospective business partners treated others who were inferior to him. If the treatment of the driver is so good, he believes he can do business with that person.

In this life, how often do we not show the original character when meeting people of equal height. If you want to see the authenticity of someone's nature, look at how he treats people who are inferior to him socially, economically, and intellectually. When someone values the person below him, he treats everyone as he wants to be treated by someone else.

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Image source: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

*INDONESIA*

Menghormati Orang lain di Kelas “Bawah”

Seorang sopir menjemput seorang pengusaha asal Amerika Serikat di bandara Hongkong. Dia sudah berada di bandara setengah jam sebelum pesawat mendarat karena khawatir membuatnya tamunya menunggu. Karena pengusaha Amerika Serikat itu menumpang maskapai terbaik di dunia, dia tiba tepat waktu. Dengan memegang selembar kertas bertuliskan nama sang pengusaha, dia menemukan pengusaha itu di antara para penumpang lain.

“Yup, itu saya,” kata pengusaha tersebut.

Sopir mengangguk ramah dan meminta koper pengusaha itu untuk dibawanya ke mobil. Sang pengusaha menolak dengan ramah karena hanya membawa satu barang koper selama berada di Hongkong. “Mau langsung ke hotel atau mencoba kuliner khas China?” tanya sopir itu dengan ramah.

“Apa rekomendasi Anda?” balas sang pengusaha dari jok belakang.

“Ada sebuah restoran yang bagus di dekat hotel. Saya pikir, Anda bisa mencobanya sebelum beristirahat di hotel.”

Pengusaha itu mengangguk setuju. Dia memang masih lelah setelah menempuh perjalanan dari bandara LAX di Los Angeles. Tetapi, pembicaraan bisnis baru dilakukan satu hari lagi. Dia mempunyai waktu yang lama untuk beristirahat dan menikmati Hongkong. Ini adalah perjalanan pertamanya ke Hongkong, karenanya dia ingin menikmati Hongkong meski tidak ada keindahan alam yang bisa dinikmati di negara kota tersebut.

Mereka menikmati kuliner khas China. Ketika sopir mengambil tempat berbeda, pengusaha itu meminta sopir duduk satu meja dengannya. Dia ingin ditemani meski oleh seorang sopir. Dia menanyakan banyak hal tentang Hongkong pada sopir tersebut, bahkan keakraban membuat mereka membicarakan masalah-msalah pribadi seperti keluarga. Pengusaha itu tidak menganggap rendah meski lawan bicaranya adalah seorang sopir. Dia sangat menghargai sopir tersebut.

***

Hari kerja akhirnya tiba. Pengusaha tersebut datang ke kantor rekanan bisnisnya yang baru di Hongkong. Ketika masuk ke ruang rapat, ia sangat terkejut karena yang menyambutnya adalah sopir yang kemarin menemaninya makan. Sopir itu yang ternyata orang penting di perusahaan, menyamar sebagai sopir untuk melihat bagaimana calon rekanan bisnisnya memperlakukan orang lain yang lebih rendah dari dirinya. Kalau perlakuan terhadap sopir sudah demikian baik, ia yakin bisa berbisnis dengan orang tersebut.

Dalam kehidupan ini, betapa seringnya kita tidak memperlihatkan karakter asli ketika bertemu dengan orang yang setara yang lebih tinggi. Kalau ingin melihat keaslian sifat seseorang, lihatnya bagaimana ia memperlakukan orang yang lebih rendah dari dirinya secara sosial, ekonomi, dan intelektual. Ketika seseorang menghargai orang yang berada di bawahnya, berarti ia memperlakukan setiap orang seperti ia ingin diperlakukan oleh orang lain.

*****