1. Being Considerate
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“Dignity does not consist in possessing honours,
but in deserving them.” Aristotle
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Value link: consideration for others, courtesy, dignity of manual work, respect for others
Time to Start
Don’t we usually think that we should bother to know only about persons whom we think
are important to us? How often do you really bother to know a little more of the person who
cleans your classroom? Perhaps you just know him as the sweeper, or by any nickname like
Motu or Chotu given by the students. Yet, he is a very important person. How would your
classroom look if it wasn’t cleaned by him everyday? His work is important for you. He is your
helper, not your servant. We have our prejudices that certain types of work do not command
respectability and we look down upon persons doing the so-called menial jobs like sweeping,
cleaning toilets and carrying loads.
Many of our great spiritual leaders have often emphasized the dignity in any type of labour, be
it manual or otherwise. We have seen this in people like Mahatma Gandhi. They have taught
us by example, practising what they preached. Giving dignity to labour also means we respect
the persons doing the work. This in turn makes us considerate towards all. A considerate
person is always helpful and avoids causing any discomfort to anyone.
Given are two stories: one on how people feel when someone is inconsiderate to others and
the other when one does not respect the dignity of another’s labour. Read the stories and
reflect on the values which they present.
Time to Read
Being Considerate Brings Respect
Manu safely stored his suitcase in the proper place and sat down on his seat. A few minutes
before the scheduled departure, a family of five rushed into the aircraft. “We made it!”
exclaimed the man. His wife looked relieved too. Then one of the three children said, “It’s
all Romy’s fault! If he hadn’t taken my ball then...” Romy immediately cut off the sentence
shouting, “No, it’s your fault! You should have just given me the ball!” Soon the youngest
child also started shouting, asking for a ball of his own to play with.
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The parents of these noisy children didn’t
worry about the inconvenience they
were causing the other passengers. The
man attempted to find a place for all the
baggage that the family had brought. He
carelessly pushed aside a small suitcase,
causing it to fall on the ground. Without
even saying sorry, the man rudely asked,
“Whose luggage is this? It hasn’t been
placed properly and now look it has fallen
down!”
Even before he had finished his statement,
Manu came by and picked up the suitcase.
He turned to the man and said, “Sir, this is
my suitcase. Please understand that I had
placed it securely in the hold. Perhaps
I should help you with your luggage to avoid further accidents.”
Before the man could react, the airhostess had arrived on the scene. The mother and her
three children immediately demanded drinks and other refreshments from the airhostess. The
airhostess politely asked them to take their seats. She checked to see that the baggage was
well secured in the hold. She then requested the family to remain quietly seated until take-off,
saying she would attend to their needs soon afterwards.
But the lady was rude. In a loud voice she remarked within the hearing of the passengers
nearby, “You are paid to look after us. Mind your business.” The airhostess remained silent and
went about her work, unmindful of the remark.
Manu watched in amazement as the airhostess remained calm and finally managed to settle
everyone comfortably. He felt a lot of respect for the airhostess, the way she worked and
showed consideration for others. He felt ashamed of the way the family members, particularly
the lady, behaved with her. They were rude, disrespectful and inconsiderate. Manu didn’t like
them at all and was glad to see the last of them at the end of the journey. He understood then
that no one likes to be with people who are rude and inconsiderate. Manu decided to be like
the airhostess – polite and considerate – so that people would respect him.
Answer the following questions.
1. Where did Manu place his suitcase?
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(a) securely in the hold
(b) carelessly in the storage cabin
(c) underneath his seat
(d) on top of the family’s luggage
2. Why were the children in the family inconsiderate?
(a) They were too large a family and had many pieces of luggage.
(b) They had no time to settle down.
(c) The airhostess did not help them.
(d) The parents themselves were inconsiderate.
3. The lady in the family was rude to the airhostess. What did she say which was hurting?
4. Why did the airhostess’s behaviour command respect even though throughout the
scene every family member was inconsiderate towards her?
Dignity of Work
Bhaskar came into the classroom and found everyone in an excited state. “What’s going on?”
he asked.
“We’re going to paint the classroom!” exclaimed Jacob.
“Is that all?” asked a disappointed Bhaskar. “I thought it was something interesting. It’s only
painting.”
“Come on, Bhaskar! It’ll be fun!” said Jacob but Bhaskar wasn’t interested. He thought painting
was a lowly job, the work of painters alone.
“I’m not going to do that kind of work!” thought Bhaskar.
Bhaskar then saw that apart from him, every other student had volunteered to help. His friends
tried to coax him to get involved, but Bhaskar just stood aside and did not join the fun. The
master painter who was guiding the boys in the job requested Bhaskar to move a bucket of
water out of the way. Bhaskar didn’t want to obey the painter so he just left it there.
The volunteers helping each other continued with their work. One held up the bucket of paint
while another standing on the step of the ladder dipped his brush into the paint and swept
it across the wall. The master painter stood nearby giving instructions. Having nothing to do,
Bhaskar decided to move away quietly from the scene.
As he was about to leave, he tripped over the bucket of water the painter had asked him to
remove. He fell on the boy holding the bucket of paint. The boy slipped, toppling the bucket
while trying to balance himself. The bucket fell to the ground, but not before the paint had
splashed all over Bhaskar.
Everyone was stunned for a moment. A peal of laughter suddenly broke the silence. Someone
started laughing aloud. It was none other than Bhaskar himself! Bhaskar was a different person
from then on. He joined in with the others and enjoyed himself thoroughly.
After the boys had finished their work, the master painter offered to give the finishing touch,
that of painting a forest scene on the wall. Bhaskar watched in amazement as the wall came
alive with colours as the painter’s skilled hands drew the strokes with the brush.
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Bhaskar then understood that every job required special skills. The students had needed the
painter to guide them in mixing the paint properly and painting the wall neatly. Special skills
were required to paint pictures on the wall. Bhaskar went home truly understanding the
dignity in any labour.
Answer the following questions.
1. Why wasn’t Bhaskar interested in helping out with the painting of the classroom?
(a) Painting wasn’t his area of interest.
(b) He didn’t want to be running around on errands.
(c) He felt he had nothing in common with the rest of the students.
(d) He thought painting was a lowly job, the work of painters alone.
2. What happened when the paint splashed all over Bhaskar?
(a) Everyone was sad.
(b) For a moment everyone was stunned.
(c) Everyone broke into peels of laughter.
(d) Everyone started to clean up the place.
3. The dignity in performing any job need not depend only on the position it gives you in
the society. What is really the dignity in any work?
(a) How others treat you, when you do the job.
(b) Something very unusual about the job.
(c) The pride with which you do the job.
(d) The work experience that you get as an additional qualification.
4. What made Bhaskar understand that every job required special skills?
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Time to Think
Consideration for others comes from the way one has been brought up at home by
parents and from teachers at school. When it doesn’t happen that way, one’s own
experiences and those of our friends teach us to become considerate. A considerate
person commands respect.
Any work is respectable because it is the way you do it that gives dignity to it. When
Mahatma Gandhi and Kasturba cleaned toilets themselves, everyone was astounded at
first. But soon their followers did the same. The first story is about how every member
of the family is shamefully inconsiderate and rude, and yet the airhostess and Manu are
unmindful of it. They go out of the way and show concern. In the second story, Bhaskar
realizes that true dignity lies in the performer, when even an ordinary task becomes an
important one. He learns this lesson from his friends and the painter.
Consideration is based on concern; dignity to labour is given by the performer.
Question Time
1. What does consideration for others mean?
2. The family on the flight was very inconsiderate in their behaviour. What would have
been the right way for the lady to have addressed the airhostess?
3. Bhaskar participated in the work finally. What did he learn as a lasting lesson?
4. What is the name of the person who keeps your classroom clean? Find out more
about him and share with your classmates.
Time for a Reality Check
Somnath was a hardworking and kind peon. He was very busy getting the room ready
for an important occasion. He was very thorough in his work and took pride in keeping
the place clean. As he prepared for the V.I.P. visit, he received news of his daughter’s
accident. Some of the students in the class, seeing this situation, react.
I want to see
my daughter
but there is so
much work...
Mr Somnath,
there is some
bad news...
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Work in Groups
Present the ideas of the group on the following points taken up for discussion. Give reasons
for your response. Use the ideas given below and add suggestions of your own.
The students who help Somnath show...
The students who don’t help show...
1. that they are considerate and know he wants
to be with his daughter.
1. that they are inconsiderate and think that
cleaning is Somnath’s work and they shouldn’t
bother about it.
2. that they are kind and acknowledge his
problem.
2. that it is beneath their dignity to sweep.
Diary Time
Write what you would do if you were a student of the class.
Today I learnt about
If I were in the same situation as the students, I would
Date:
Sign:
Put Together
Form two groups in class. Let one group make a bunch of small chits of situations when
one can show consideration to another person. Slipping down the stairs, carrying an
overburden of luggage, unable to get into the bus, being abused by the conductor and
being unwell and unable to do a job are some such situations.
Let the other group make another bunch of chits of people who do jobs which are
considered menial like sweeper, cleaner, domestic helper, peon, garbage collector, and
so on.
Let a child from any one group pick up one chit from each bunch and give a talk for
two minutes. For example, if one chit has sick and not able to complete the job and
the second chit has domestic helper, the child has to talk about how he/she will show
consideration to a domestic helper who is unwell.
This is how one can become a better person by exchanging ideas.
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