He shook his head.
“What I’m saying is that if you’re in a position of decision making and power, such as you are now, you can forget about being liked by the people who are affected by your decisions. The best you can hope for is respect.”
“Wait a minute,” I said, “are you saying that people can respect you without liking you?”
“Sure,” Aahz said easily. “That one I can give you dozens of examples on. Since we’re on the subject of taxes and finances, consider Grimble. You respect his skill and dedication even though you don’t particularly like him as a person. Right?”
I had to admit that he was right there.
“Better still,” he continued, “think back to when you and I first paired up. I was pretty rough on you with the magik lessons, and made you practice even when you didn’t feel up to it. You didn’t like me for drilling you constantly, but you did respect me.”
“Um . . . Well, I didn’t know you as well then as I do now.” I said uneasily. “At the time, though, I guess I had to believe that you knew what you were doing, and that what you were putting me through was necessary for the learning process . . . whether I liked it or not.”
“Precisely,” Aahz nodded. “Don’t feel bad. It’s the normal reaction to an authority figure, whether it’s a parent, a teacher, a boss, or a government representative. One doesn’t always like what they make us do, but even in the midst of disliking being forced to do something, one can still admire and respect the fairness and expertise with which they do their job.”