Every society is shaped not only by its laws and institutions, but by what it chooses to admire. Respect, who receives it and why, quietly influences behavior, ambition, and responsibility. When respect is earned through contribution, effort, and competence, societies grow stronger. When it is granted mainly through money, status, popularity, or loud opinion, progress becomes fragile. Sri Lanka today stands at a moment where this distinction matters more than ever.
In developed countries, for example in the USA, respect is commonly understood as something that must be earned and continuously justified. A person is admired not simply because they are wealthy or hold a title, but because they are responsible, capable, and accountable. A schoolteacher in a disadvantaged district, a public servant who performs with integrity, or an entrepreneur who creates real value can command social respect regardless of income. Wealth without responsibility does not automatically translate into admiration and often attract scrutiny.
Sri Lanka’s experience is different. Respect is still closely tied to seniority, political proximity, family background, or visible wealth. This pattern has deep historical roots, shaped by feudal traditions, colonial hierarchies, and post-independence political culture. Over time, this weakened the link between effort and recognition.
This imbalance shows clearly in everyday life. Across rural districts such as Monaragala, it is not uncommon to find teachers who have spent decades supporting students; sometimes even purchasing books with their own salaries; yet see little recognition or career advancement. In contrast, promotions within the education system often continue to favor seniority or political influence over classroom impact. Ordinary citizens learn early that hard work does not always translate into respect or opportunity.
A similar pattern exists throughout the public sector. Many capable and dedicated officers are well known to the communities they serve, yet advancement is often determined by loyalty, silence, or political alignment rather than performance. When responsibility is not rewarded, it slowly becomes a disadvantage. Over time, institutions lose talent, motivation declines, and public trust erodes.
Another emerging problem , closely linked to misplaced respect is the growing confusion between opinion and expertise, especially in policymaking. In Sri Lanka today, nearly everyone feels entitled to speak authoritatively on complex national issues, regardless of knowledge or training. Television panels, social media, and YouTube discussions often treat all opinions as equal, even when the subject requires deep technical understanding.
As a result, education reforms are confidently debated by individuals with no background in pedagogy. Agricultural policy is analyzed by professionals trained in entirely unrelated fields. Complex economic or health policies are reduced to slogans by media personalities whose influence comes from popularity rather than expertise. While public discussion is healthy in any democracy, the absence of boundaries between informed critique and uninformed assertion has created a dangerous policy environment.
In developed countries such as the USA and Germany, public debate is encouraged, but there is a clearer distinction between opinion and authority. Citizens are free to question policies, yet technical decisions are largely guided by trained professionals, peer review, data, and institutional checks. Challenging experts is acceptable, but doing so requires evidence, logic, and accountability. This balance helps institutions remain adaptive without becoming chaotic.
In Sri Lanka, however, the loudest voices often dominate discourse, while genuine experts struggle to be heard. This weakens policy outcomes and reinforces a culture where confidence is mistaken for competence. Respect, once again, is detached from responsibility.
The issue is not that citizens should remain silent. On the contrary, democratic participation is essential. But participation must come with ethical boundaries. Having an opinion does not automatically confer expertise. A healthy society respects informed voices, values evidence, and understands that complex systems such as education, agriculture, healthcare, economics require trained judgment.
Wealth, too, plays a distorted role in determining respect. Sudden affluence often brings admiration without questions. Luxury vehicles, large houses, and public displays of consumption quickly translate into social status, regardless of how wealth was acquired. Rarely do we ask whether value was created, rules were followed, or responsibilities were fulfilled.
In developed countries, again such as the USA and Germany, wealth tends to earn respect only when it is clearly linked to innovation, productivity, or contribution. Unexplained or unethical wealth often attracts investigation and public scrutiny. While corruption exists everywhere, these societies make irresponsibility costly both socially and institutionally.
Young people absorb these signals early. In Sri Lanka, many grow up believing that success is measured by titles, foreign employment, or visibility rather than contribution or integrity. This fuels frustration and migration. Each year, thousands of talented Sri Lankans leave not only for higher salaries, but for systems where effort matters, expertise is valued, and accountability exists.
Sri Lanka’s recent economic crisis exposed the consequences of a system where respect and authority were divorced from responsibility and competence. Poor decisions made without accountability led to widespread hardship. Yet the crisis also revealed the country’s hidden strength. When institutions failed, ordinary citizens stepped forward, farmers sharing produce, doctors and nurses working without pay, volunteers organizing community kitchens, neighbors supporting one another quietly.
These individuals acted out of responsibility, not expectation of reward. Ironically, once stability returned, many of them faded back into invisibility. Their contribution did not translate into lasting respect or influence. A society that repeatedly overlooks responsibility risks discouraging it altogether.
If Sri Lanka is to rebuild sustainably, it must realign respect with responsibility, and increasingly, with expertise. This does not mean rejecting tradition or silencing public voices. Respect for elders, community values, and democratic debate can coexist with merit, accountability, and professional ethics. What must change is the assumption that respect is automatic, permanent, or disconnected from contribution.
Institutions must lead this shift. Recruitment, promotions, and recognition should be transparently tied to performance and competence. Education must emphasize ethics, civic responsibility, and evidence-based thinking. Media must distinguish between informed analysis and entertainment. Communities should celebrate those who quietly and consistently do their work well and not merely those who speak the loudest.
Developed countries like the USA and Germany are not perfect models, but they offer useful reference points. Their experience shows that when responsibility and expertise earn respect, institutions gain legitimacy and societies become more resilient.
Sri Lanka does not lack capable or responsible people. It lacks systems that consistently respect them. Aligning social respect with effort, contribution, and informed judgment would restore trust, improve governance, and strengthen the nation’s future.
Money can buy comfort. Popularity can attract attention. But only responsibility, guided by effort and expertise, earns lasting respect. And only such respect can help rebuild Sri Lanka into a stronger, fairer, and more credible country.
Sri Lanka’s future will not be secured by louder opinions, inherited status, or visible wealth. It will be shaped by how seriously we reward responsibility, respect expertise, and value contribution over appearance. Rebuilding the country begins not only with policy change, but with a collective shift in what we choose to admire.
Sources:
- Fukuyama, F. (1995). Trust: The Social Virtues and the Creation of Prosperity.
- Sen, A. (1999). Development as Freedom.
- OECD (2021). Evidence-Based Policy Making in OECD Countries.
- World Bank (2020). Governance, Accountability, and Institutional Performance.
