Someone I have admired and trusted has shown a side of himself that I don't find particularily attractive. I've learned that he sees distance and hierarchy as something essential and that he primarily judges people by their function in the hierarchy and not by who they are. Moreover, he seems to think that leaders never ought to be questioned and that the people "beneath" them should simply adhere to the rules and keep their mouths shut, regardless of how stupid those rules might be.

I do realise that we have grown up in different cultural spheres, and I also realise that his background has shaped him in a way that is very different from my own path in life, but I find his views rather offensive, especially in the light of what is going on at work. Well, at least I know where he stands, even though it was not a particularily enjoyable thing to find out.