The genuine test of character isn't how we behave at the dinner table with important people—it's how we treat the server who clears the plates. Branson's observation cuts past the flattering notion that respect is something we *earn* by being worthy; instead, he suggests it's a baseline courtesy we extend universally, which actually reveals far more about ourselves than about those we're respecting. The person who is gracious only to the powerful is simply practicing investment strategy, not virtue. Watch someone interact with a junior colleague or a stranger who can offer them nothing, and you'll see their actual values on display.