One of the easiest ways for someone to lose my respect is for them to throw their trash haphazardly.
That happened while I was in college. I was with my thesis team mates and we were on our way home from Caraga after a one-day interview marathon with the Mandayas. I was with Faith, Pam, and Faith's father, the top honcho of NTC Region XI. Faith's father was driving the car and we were easing away from Mati, rolling by the cliff roads heading west.
Earlier on, I was immensely awed that a top government official was with us in the trip and was actually escorting us to and from the place of our thesis research. It was akin to being with the President of the Philippines, for instance, or being in the presence of a highly distinguished VIP (Photo shoot!).
But that initial impression was erased when Faith's father rolled down his window and threw a plastic cellophane into the air. Never mind that the car had enough compartments to hold the trash. Never mind that he could have kept that trash to be thrown later. Never mind that nobody would be around to pick up the trash for him. After that, I didn't look at her father the same way.
How come I'm bringing up this seemingly small matter? Well, that's because, while I was on my way home this morning (after attending Misa De Gallo), a fellow passenger in the tricycle I was riding on also did the same thing. After the lady had finished eating her kutsinta, she threw her trash into the air.
Just like that. An act so simple, yet so blatantly irresponsible and disrespectful.
Someone might tell me not to sweat the small stuff. But this "small stuff", this indiscriminate disposal of one's trash, actually speaks a lot about one person's character. For me, this "minor" misconduct implies a great deal about a person's level of self-discipline and impulse control (or lack thereof).
That's because throwing one's trash properly is as basic as you can get. Even in elementary, we are already taught that we should dispose our trash in the least harmful way possible. Sad to say, only a few people actually live by this lesson and if one cannot be entrusted with learning the small things in life, why should they be entrusted with the bigger things, lessons which already carry with them the weight of bigger responsibilities?
In addition, there is simply no excuse for such a behavior. I know of people who do bring around their trash until they find a trash receptacle and, now, I am beginning to wonder why most people can't do the same.
Throwing your trash anywhere at anytime isn't cool, dude. It simply means you're "burara" and if you're looking for respect, you won't be getting it from me.
That happened while I was in college. I was with my thesis team mates and we were on our way home from Caraga after a one-day interview marathon with the Mandayas. I was with Faith, Pam, and Faith's father, the top honcho of NTC Region XI. Faith's father was driving the car and we were easing away from Mati, rolling by the cliff roads heading west.
Earlier on, I was immensely awed that a top government official was with us in the trip and was actually escorting us to and from the place of our thesis research. It was akin to being with the President of the Philippines, for instance, or being in the presence of a highly distinguished VIP (Photo shoot!).
But that initial impression was erased when Faith's father rolled down his window and threw a plastic cellophane into the air. Never mind that the car had enough compartments to hold the trash. Never mind that he could have kept that trash to be thrown later. Never mind that nobody would be around to pick up the trash for him. After that, I didn't look at her father the same way.
How come I'm bringing up this seemingly small matter? Well, that's because, while I was on my way home this morning (after attending Misa De Gallo), a fellow passenger in the tricycle I was riding on also did the same thing. After the lady had finished eating her kutsinta, she threw her trash into the air.
Just like that. An act so simple, yet so blatantly irresponsible and disrespectful.
Someone might tell me not to sweat the small stuff. But this "small stuff", this indiscriminate disposal of one's trash, actually speaks a lot about one person's character. For me, this "minor" misconduct implies a great deal about a person's level of self-discipline and impulse control (or lack thereof).
That's because throwing one's trash properly is as basic as you can get. Even in elementary, we are already taught that we should dispose our trash in the least harmful way possible. Sad to say, only a few people actually live by this lesson and if one cannot be entrusted with learning the small things in life, why should they be entrusted with the bigger things, lessons which already carry with them the weight of bigger responsibilities?
In addition, there is simply no excuse for such a behavior. I know of people who do bring around their trash until they find a trash receptacle and, now, I am beginning to wonder why most people can't do the same.
Throwing your trash anywhere at anytime isn't cool, dude. It simply means you're "burara" and if you're looking for respect, you won't be getting it from me.
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