by Rella Ingram

Created on: January 31, 2009   Last Updated: February 11, 2009

Tears were being choked back as the insults were beating down on her head. There was nowhere to escape to. Her co-workers were all around. Standing there staring at her while she quietly accepted her manager's ranting about her lack of stylish clothing, lack of intelligence, and lack of originality in her work. While the geyser of belittling insults was pouring out of the manager's mouth, he stood over his assistant strutting like he was the greatest gift to humanity.

This actually happened to a colleague of mine a few years ago. In reality, it occurred on numerous occasions with this manager. I am happy to report, that the assistant finally stood up to him and quit. She is now doing very well and is in a management position herself. The manager that belittled his assistant no longer has the position he once held. In the end, he belittled others to the point that put him in such a predicament that upper management had to let him go or face a lawsuit.

This is an extreme account of belittling. It is all too common in today's workplace. Many people do not go to such extremes, but slip in a belittling comment here or there about someone to make themselves look better among their peers or to the boss. It is a shame, but it happens.

What gives people like this the idea that they are so much better than others? Is it their social status, or their own insecurities? More often than not, it is their own insecurities that lead people to belittle others in the hopes that it will make themselves look more important in other's eyes. The fact is, though, they are only belittling themselves and creating a reputation for themselves that will be hard to escape when they finally see the error of their ways.

Treating other people as if they are below you is something often associated with the stereotype given to the higher class of society. However, it happens more often than most people care to admit. How many times have you made a comment that shed a little better light on you or your abilities to make you look or sound better than your co-worker? Maybe not with the intention of putting them down, or belittling them, but in the end that is what you have done. It reflects badly on you to do so.

The crazy thing about reputation is, when you have a good reputation, and everyone loves you or your work, it takes only a small mistake to devastate a lifetime of hard work and commitment. Belittling someone just to make you look better is never a good idea. It only shows your insecurities, small mindedness, and in the end belittles yourself ruining your reputation. When you have to rebuild a reputation, it takes years to undo what a few moments have undone.

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