A second look at an old adage

In the context of employee termination, this old adage was cited: Be careful how you treat people on the way up, because you may meet them again on the way down.

Needless to say, this has a much broader application and not just in case of terminating an employee. It has relevant daily applicability - in the workplace, at home, in the mall, everywhere.

Personally, I think the reason given is not noble enough -'...because you may meet them again on the way down'. What about the intrinsic value of the person? Treat him with respect because he is a human being, period. Whether that benefits me or not, I owe it to that person because of his value as a human being.