The Only Time You Look Down on Someone

The Only Time You Look Down on Someone

13 November 2025

There’s a quote that says: “The only time you look down on a man is to uplift him.”

I’m not a fan of theories that explain everything through the lens of colonialism and slavery. I admitted that again to a colleague from the Netherlands last Monday. In fact, I have an aversion to them because they tend to put people in a permanent victim role.

And yet, it is not a theory we can throw away.

You see, there’s something in our culture—and perhaps it’s universal—that makes us show little empathy toward the weak, while we idolize the strong and the rich. It is so ingrained that we often don’t even notice it. For example, we prefer to cross the street when someone who looks poor approaches.

There are countless examples. We forgive billions in tax debts owed by the rich, yet we can’t find the means to index basic pensions. If you have money, you can install solar panels and even make a profit from the energy they generate. If you pay cash, you get a discount.

There’s no attention for small investors, while the red carpet is rolled out for the big ones. A modest consultant is stripped down and forced to wait for payment—if he gets paid at all—while a large consultancy is handed millions. The system rewards size and status, not effort or integrity.

And it goes further. When you keep applying for jobs but can’t find one, you’re treated more and more as an exception. When you lose your job, you no longer count—and people suddenly have no time for you. When you’re sick or have trouble walking, people gradually engage with you less.

The irony is that this can—and will—happen to all of us eventually.

So, be a little more empathetic. Because whatever you do for another, you ultimately do for yourself.

Don’t stumble expecting someone to catch you—too often, instead of lifting you, they’ll push to keep you down.

Miguel Goede