--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The way we treat people we think can't…" description: "\"The way we treat people we think can't help or hurt us - like housekeepers, waiters, and secretaries - tells more about our character than how we treat..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09f/michael-josephson-2363_behave_the-way-we-treat-people-we-think-can-t-h_3078654.png" --- # The way we treat people we think can't help or hurt us… ![“The way we treat people we think can't help or hurt us - like housekeepers, waiters, and secretaries - tells more about our character than how we treat people we think are important. How we behave when we think no one is looking or when we don't think we will get caught more accurately portrays…” quote by Michael Josephson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09f/michael-josephson-2363_behave_the-way-we-treat-people-we-think-can-t-h_3078654.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09f/michael-josephson-2363_behave_the-way-we-treat-people-we-think-can-t-h_3078654.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09f/michael-josephson-2363_behave_the-way-we-treat-people-we-think-can-t-h_3078654.png) > “The way we treat people we think can't help or hurt us - like housekeepers, waiters, and secretaries - tells more about our character than how we treat people we think are important. How we behave when we think no one is looking or when we don't think we will get caught more accurately portrays our character than what we say or do in service of our reputations.” [Michael Josephson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-josephson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Treating everyone with respect, even unseen staff, reveals true character more than public actions. **In simple terms:** Respect for all, seen or unseen, shows real character. Key Takeaway Practice consistent respect regardless of audience. Themes ethics respect character Mood thoughtful inspirational Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - customer service - private moments - leadership decisions Key Concepts moral philosophy social behavior Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure respect when unobserved? - What habits reveal character most clearly? A Different Perspective May be idealistic in highly competitive environments. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Behave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behave/) [Behave Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behave-think-853601/) [Caught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caught/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Helping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helping/) [Housekeepers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/housekeepers/) [Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurt/) [Hurt U](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurt-u/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Important Behave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-behave-5241576/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Portrays Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/portrays-character-4062752/) [Reputation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reputation/) [Secretary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secretary/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Treat People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treat-people/) [Treats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treats/) [Waiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiter/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [When someone on screen portrays a character that behaves in a way you don't expect, you're subverting ideas. So if there's a Venn diagram…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-rothwell/when-someone-on-screen-portrays-a-character-that-behaves-in-a-way-you/) [Natasha Rothwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-rothwell/) > [“..:Being a good kid in a bad circumstance, quite an experience. Infact, bad things happened to good people. Yet, what's of importance and of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-garcia/being-a-good-kid-in-a-bad-circumstance-quite-an-experience-infact-bad/) [Rafael Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-garcia/) > [“We all have our own constraints to deal with—rules and social norms we’re required to observe that we’d rather not. Dress codes, protocols, procedures,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-all-have-our-own-constraints-to-deal-with-rules-and-social-norms/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think a way to behave is to think not in terms of representative government, not in terms of voting, not in terms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/i-think-a-way-to-behave-is-to-think-not-in-terms-of-representative/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [We all behave as though what we think is true, is true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-thomas/we-all-behave-as-though-what-we-think-is-true-is-true/) [Mark Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-thomas/) > [We are dangerous when we are not conscious of our responsibility for how we behave, think, and feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/we-are-dangerous-when-we-are-not-conscious-of-our-responsibility-for/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [Country people do not behave as if they think life is short; they live on the principle that it is long, and savor variations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hoagland/country-people-do-not-behave-as-if-they-think-life-is-short-they-live/) [Edward Hoagland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hoagland/) > [We look at the world through our likes and dislikes, hopes and fears, opinions and judgments. We want everyone to behave as we think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eknath-easwaran/we-look-at-the-world-through-our-likes-and-dislikes-hopes-and-fears/) [Eknath Easwaran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eknath-easwaran/) > [In a nutshell, the fountain of happiness can be found in how you behave, what you think, and what goals you set every day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonja-lyubomirsky/in-a-nutshell-the-fountain-of-happiness-can-be-found-in-how-you/) [Sonja Lyubomirsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonja-lyubomirsky/) > [Leave my image alone... I will behave as I think I should and I will not change anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezer-weizman/leave-my-image-alone-i-will-behave-as-i-think-i-should-and-i-will-not/) [Ezer Weizman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezer-weizman/) > [Our character is revealed by how we treat people who cannot help us or hurt us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-josephson/our-character-is-revealed-by-how-we-treat-people-who-cannot-help-us/) [Michael Josephson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-josephson/) > [Housekeepers, homemakers, wives, and mothers are fundamental social relations, which rest upon woman's characteristics, physical, mental, and moral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-heber-newton/housekeepers-homemakers-wives-and-mothers-are-fundamental-social/) [R. Heber Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-heber-newton/) > [The whole Turkish empire is nothing else but a crust cast by Heaven's great Housekeeper to His dogs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/the-whole-turkish-empire-is-nothing-else-but-a-crust-cast-by-heaven-s/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [I think we'll have a good potato crop this year," a newspaper editor told his housekeeper one morning. "No such thing," asserted the housekeeper.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/i-think-we-ll-have-a-good-potato-crop-this-year-a-newspaper-editor/) [James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/) > [The earth doesn't have a housekeeper to do the dusting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/the-earth-doesn-t-have-a-housekeeper-to-do-the-dusting/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) ## More by Michael Josephson > [No one is born with good character; it's not a hereditary trait. And it isn't determined by a single noble act. 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The bigger the goal, the greater the effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-josephson/the-key-to-success-is-effort-the-bigger-the-goal-the-greater-the/) [Michael Josephson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-josephson/) > [“We can't live forever but what we do can change lives forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-josephson/we-can-t-live-forever-but-what-we-do-can-change-lives-forever/) [Michael Josephson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-josephson/) > [Take pride in how far you've come. Have faith in how far you can go. But don't forget to enjoy the journey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-josephson/take-pride-in-how-far-you-ve-come-have-faith-in-how-far-you-can-go/) [Michael Josephson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-josephson/) > [Leadership is not a matter of authority, it is a matter of influence. A true leader teaches others to understand more, motivates them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-josephson/leadership-is-not-a-matter-of-authority-it-is-a-matter-of-influence-a/) [Michael Josephson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-josephson/) > [People who don't believe in you are right only if you believe they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-josephson/people-who-don-t-believe-in-you-are-right-only-if-you-believe-they-are/) [Michael Josephson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-josephson/) > [There is within you, waiting to be called, a great source of power called courage. Call its name and it will give you the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-josephson/there-is-within-you-waiting-to-be-called-a-great-source-of-power/) [Michael Josephson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-josephson/) > [No word makes me happier than the word "daddy" when it's directed to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-josephson/no-word-makes-me-happier-than-the-word-daddy-when-it-s-directed-to-me/) [Michael Josephson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-josephson/) > [Ethics is not for wimps. It's not easy being a good person. That's why it's such a lofty goal and an admirable achievement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-josephson/ethics-is-not-for-wimps-it-s-not-easy-being-a-good-person-that-s-why/) [Michael Josephson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-josephson/) [Explore all 170 Michael Josephson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-josephson/) ## More Behave quotes > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To behave creatively in art means behavior with skill; and skill comes from discipline, not derangement. 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(Jericho)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/then-olympus-it-is-but-do-try-to-behave-i-know-it-s-hard-for-you-but/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [The possibility of saying anything about a thing rests on the assumption that it preserves its identity, or continues to be the same thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-knight/the-possibility-of-saying-anything-about-a-thing-rests-on-the/) [Frank Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-knight/) > [Why does man behave like perfect idiot? This is the problem I wish to deal with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-szent-gyorgyi/why-does-man-behave-like-perfect-idiot-this-is-the-problem-i-wish-to/) [Albert Szent-Gyorgyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-szent-gyorgyi/) > [This is a time in my life where I'm gonna behave like an elegant human being. Or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-stritch/this-is-a-time-in-my-life-where-i-m-gonna-behave-like-an-elegant/) [Elaine Stritch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-stritch/) > [Most people, even in simple risky situations, don't behave the way the theory of utility would have them behave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-raiffa/most-people-even-in-simple-risky-situations-don-t-behave-the-way-the/) [Howard Raiffa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-raiffa/) > [As a club, we have an educational purpose: to give back to those people who love Arsenal so that they learn moral values from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/as-a-club-we-have-an-educational-purpose-to-give-back-to-those-people/) [Arsene Wenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-wenger/) > [What astonishes many of us is not so much that human nature is fundamentally corrupt; we are astonished rather that it does not behave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-irving-seiden/what-astonishes-many-of-us-is-not-so-much-that-human-nature-is/) [Morton Irving Seiden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-irving-seiden/) > [Do we behave out of fear of punishment, or out of the demands of our heart? 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