THE ISSUE OF INTRODUCTION

There is a saying: “As is the social introduction, so is the social interaction.” In other words, how a person introduces themselves to their environment will influence how the environment interacts with them. This is a fundamental principle with possibly no exceptions.

Once, I was traveling from Delhi to Hyderabad. At the Delhi Airport, when I went through security, I noticed that other passengers’ bags were being opened and checked. I had a small bag with me that contained only a change of clothes and a copy of the Quran. Believing my bag didn’t contain anything that needed inspection, I asked, “Does this need to be opened?”

The man in police uniform standing on the other side of the table responded somewhat sternly, “Why not?” I immediately opened my bag. The man rummaged through it and found nothing objectionable. Finally, he picked up the book and asked, “What is this?” I replied, “The Quran.” As soon as the word “Quran” left my mouth, the man’s demeanour completely changed. The person who was speaking harshly and indifferently before began to speak softly and respectfully.

Why did this difference happen? The simple reason is that at first, in the eyes of the person mentioned, I was just someone with a bag. But later, I became someone with the Quran in his eyes. As long as he saw me only as a person with a bag, he considered me just another traveler. However, once he recognized me as a person with the Quran, his perception of me changed; he started to see me differently.

If you want your environment to treat you well, it’s important to present yourself appropriately. The way you introduce yourself in your environment will shape how it interacts with you—nothing more, nothing less.