The first sign: How they treat people with no power
There is hardly a more telling sign regarding somebody’s personality than how they behave toward people who have nothing to give back, people unable to help them either advance in their career, improve their social standing, or provide any benefit for them.
Take the waiter at the restaurant, the janitor at the workplace, the cashier at the supermarket, the secretary, or that old neighbor down the road. Such people have no influence whatsoever on the other person’s life.
A person showing kindness and respect toward these people almost always demonstrates authentic empathy rather than trying to create an image of kindness and courtesy. Multiple studies confirm the link between empathy and prosocial behavior, cooperation, and low aggression. People whose natural concern is how others feel act kindly without fail and do not mind that no one is watching them.
On the other hand, take note of any time they become abrupt and condescending toward those they see as lesser.
Do they immediately get impatient?
Do they stop using polite phrases such as “please” and “thank you”?
And do they speak down to them?
Many people reserve their most decent mannerisms only for those people whom they need something from. This alone is already an indication of the person’s true nature.
This seems to be instinctively grasped by the older generations. Many of us grew up being taught that respect isn’t something you owe people because of how rich, educated, and well-connected they are. It is simply the basic minimum requirement when it comes to treating others. When someone is overly attentive to people with power but dismissive toward everyone else, it often suggests they view relationships as transactions rather than genuine human connections.
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