When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everybody will respect you.
זזזבראשית ברא אֵין הַמִּקְרָא הַזֶּה אוֹמֵר אֶלָּא דָּרְשֵׁנִי, כְּמוֹ שֶׁדְּרָשׁוּהוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ בִּשְׁבִיל הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁנִקְרֵאת רֵאשִׁית דַּרְכּוֹ (משלי ח'), וּבִשְׁבִיל יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁנִקְרְאוּ רֵאשִׁית תְּבוּאָתוֹ (ירמיה ב'); וְאִם בָּאתָ לְפָרְשׁוֹ כִּפְשׁוּטוֹ
בראשית ברא IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED — This verse calls aloud for explanation in the manner that our Rabbis explained it: God created the world for the sake of the Torah which is called (Proverbs 8:22) “The beginning (ראשית) of His (God’s) way”, and for the sake of Israel who are called (Jeremiah 2:3) “The beginning (ראשית) of His (God’s) increase’’. If, however, you wish to explain it in its plain sense...
רַבִּי חֲנַנְיָא בֶּן עֲקַשְׁיָא אוֹמֵר, רָצָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְזַכּוֹת אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, לְפִיכָךְ הִרְבָּה לָהֶם תּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה מב) ה' חָפֵץ לְמַעַן צִדְקוֹ יַגְדִּיל תּוֹרָה וְיַאְדִּיר:
Said Rabbi Hananiah ben Akashya: It pleased the Holy Blessed One to grant merit to Israel, that is why He gave them Torah and commandments in abundance, as it is said, “The Lord was pleased for His righteousness, to make Torah great and glorious” (Isaiah 42:21).
the LORD of hosts,
He is the King of glory! Selah.
But a humble man will obtain honor.
וַיִּקְרָא אֶל מֹשֶׁה. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: גַּאֲוַת אָדָם תַּשְׁפִּילֶנּוּ, וּשְׁפַל רוּחַ יִתְמֹךְ כָּבוֹד (משלי כט, כג). כָּל מִי שֶׁרוֹדֵף אַחַר שְׂרָרָה, שְׂרָרָה בּוֹרַחַת מִמֶּנּוּ. וְכָל מִי שֶׁבּוֹרֵחַ מִשְּׂרָרָה, שְׂרָרָה רוֹדֶפֶת אַחֲרָיו.
(Lev. 1:1:) “Then [the Lord] called unto Moses.” This text is related (to Prov. 29:23), “One's pride will bring him low, but the low in spirit will obtain honor.” Whenever anyone pursues [a position of] authority, authority flees from him, but whenever anyone flees from [a position of] authority, authority will pursue him.
שע"י כולם, כשיזכה האדם לחוזק הגוף, ועושר, וחכמה, וכבוד, ע"י כל א' מהן נוכל להציץ אור כבודו ית', והן סבות לזה, ומטעם זה חביבין לפניו ית'. רק שאלו הה' חביבין ביותר:
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: נֶאֱמַר: ״כַּבֵּד אֶת אָבִיךָ וְאֶת אִמֶּךָ״, וְנֶאֱמַר: ״כַּבֵּד אֶת ה׳ מֵהוֹנֶךָ״, הִשְׁוָה הַכָּתוּב כִּבּוּד אָב וָאֵם לִכְבוֹד הַמָּקוֹם. נֶאֱמַר: ״אִישׁ אִמּוֹ וְאָבִיו תִּירָאוּ״, וְנֶאֱמַר: ״אֶת ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ תִּירָא וְאֹתוֹ תַעֲבֹד״, הִשְׁוָה הַכָּתוּב מוֹרָאַת אָב וָאֵם לְמוֹרָאַת הַמָּקוֹם. נֶאֱמַר: ״מְקַלֵּל אָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ מוֹת יוּמָת״, וְנֶאֱמַר: ״אִישׁ אִישׁ כִּי יְקַלֵּל אֱלֹהָיו וְנָשָׂא חֶטְאוֹ״, הִשְׁוָה הַכָּתוּב בִּרְכַּת אָב וָאֵם לְבִרְכַּת הַמָּקוֹם.
The Sages taught that it is stated: “Honor your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:11), and it is stated: “Honor the Lord with your wealth” (Proverbs 3:9). In this manner, the verse equates the honor of one’s father and mother to the honor of the Omnipresent, as the term “honor” is used in both cases. Similarly, it is stated: “A man shall fear his mother and his father” (Leviticus 19:3), and it is stated: “You shall fear the Lord your God and Him you shall serve” (Deuteronomy 6:13). The verse equates the fear of one’s father and mother to the fear of the Omnipresent. Likewise, it is stated: “He who curses his father or his mother shall be put to death” (Exodus 21:17), and it is stated: “Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin” (Leviticus 24:15). The verse equates the blessing, a euphemism for cursing, of one’s father and mother to the blessing of the Omnipresent. But with regard to striking, i.e., with regard to the halakha that one who strikes his father or mother is liable to receive court-imposed capital punishment, it is certainly not possible to say the same concerning the Holy One, Blessed be He. And so too, the equating of one’s attitude toward his parents to his attitude toward God is a logical derivation, as the three of them are partners in his creation. As the Sages taught: There are three partners in the forming of a person: The Holy One, Blessed be He, who provides the soul, and his father and his mother. When a person honors his father and mother, the Holy One, Blessed be He, says: I ascribe credit to them as if I dwelt between them and they honor Me as well.
מִצְוַת כִּבּוּד חֲכָמִים – לְכַבֵּד הַחֲכָמִים וְלָקוּם מִפְּנֵיהֶם
מִשָּׁרְשֵׁי הַמִּצְוָה. לְפִי שֶׁעִקַּר הֱיוֹת אָדָם נִבְרָא בָּעוֹלָם הוּא מִפְּנֵי הַחָכְמָה, כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּכִּיר בּוֹרְאוֹ, עַל כֵּן רָאוּי לִבְנֵי אָדָם לְכַבֵּד מִי שֶׁהִשִּׂיג אוֹתָהּ, וּמִתּוֹךְ כָּךְ יִתְעוֹרְרוּ הָאֲחֵרִים עָלֶיהָ. וּמִזֶּה הַשֹּׁרֶשׁ פֵּרֵשׁ אִיסִי בֶּן יְהוּדָה בַּגְּמָרָא בְּקִדּוּשִׁין שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ זָקֵן אַשְׁמַאי, כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁאֵינוֹ חָכָם, הוּא בִּכְלַל הַמִּצְוָה שֶׁרָאוּי לְכַבְּדוֹ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁבְּרֹב שָׁנָיו רָאָה וְהֵבִין קְצָת בְּמַעֲשֵׂי הַשֵּׁם וְנִפְלְאוֹתָיו, וּמִתּוֹךְ כָּךְ רָאוּי לְכָבוֹד,
The commandment to honor sages: To honor sages and to rise in front of them.
It is from the roots of the commandment [that it is] since the main [purpose] of man being in the world is wisdom, so that he can recognize his Creator. Therefore, it is fitting to honor someone who has attained it; and through this, others will be aroused to it. And from this root, Isi ben Yehudah explained in the Gemara in Kiddushin that even a simple aged one — meaning to say that is not wise — is included in this commandment, such that it is fitting to honor him. Because from his many years, he saw and understood some of the works of God and his wonders. And as a result of this, he is fit for honor.
Whom I have created,
Formed, and made for My glory—
פָּתַח רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְאָמַר (ישעיהו מ״ג:ז׳) כָּל הַנִּקְרָא בִּשְׁמִי וְלִכְבוֹדִי בְּרָאתִיו וְגוֹ'. תָּא חֲזֵי יְקָרָא דְּמַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה כַּד בָּרָא כֻּלְּהוּ עָלְמִין בְּרָזָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, יָהַב לוֹן חֵילָא לְאַנְהָגָא עָלְמָא. וּבָרָא עָלְמָא עִלָּאָה בְּרָזָא דְּיוֹ''ד וְעָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה בְּרָזָא דְּהֵ''א. הָדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב כִּי בֵּהּ ה' צוּר עוֹלָמִים. וְאִתְנַהֲגוּתָא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה אַחֲוֵי בְּאַנְהָגוּתֵהּ חֵילָא דְּאִתְיְהִיב לֵהּ מִלְּעֵלָּא לְעוֹלָה.
Let every man be respected as an individual and no man idolized.