This week I happened to be listening to an interview being made to the Chief Executive of a big global company. I was struck by this man discribing the secret of his company’s success story. The first expression he made was: “I do not know”. I said to myself: how is it he does not know? Then he continued to explain himself. “Leading and working in our company, I learnt to start answering any question by saying ‘I do not know’. I think this is the secret behind our company’s success: the humility and trust we have towards every employee in our company. We appreciate and are open to the ideas of others. Sometimes we got creative and innovative ideas from whom one considers a simple workman….”

At one point I checked the frequency my radio was tuned at, because I doubted whether I was listening to some religious station. I do not know about the religious background of this Chief Executive; and the country he comes from and where he is based, I would not be surprised if he is not even a Christian. However, listening to such a man speaking of humility and trust in other people, is really something.

He must be a well respected Chief Executive; at least, his interviewer did express such respect. However, he surely did not place himself, in relationship to others, right above everybody else. He must be quite high, above many people. Yet, not that high that exclude anybody else above him, or at least at his same level, in some aspects or others. You cannot speak of humility without looking up at others. You cannot speak of trust in other people you do not consider on the same level as yours. You can speak of humility and trust rethorically, but would that bring success?

It all depends on where you place yourself. You can consider yourself the most perfect man on earth and start looking down on people, placing yourself at such a height that you consider yourself at an equal footing to god, if not god yourself. Or else, you can consider yourself the lowest in relationship to the Other, and foster respect and trust to any other, independent on his social status and worthiness.

Is there another place in between where one can place himself? I mean can one place himself beneath someone and at the same time above someone else? Can one be humble and arrogant at the same time? Can one trust someone and trust himself at the same time? Or can we say that the place where you consider yourself in relationship to the Other reflects itself in the place where you place yourself in relationship to any other?