shreyalogy.com

I don’t exactly have the most professional aura.

Very honestly, I like it that way.

Because somewhere along the way, “professionalism” stopped meaning competence and started meaning pretending to be someone you’re not. It became this strange performance where everyone smiles with exactly twelve teeth, replies with “Noted, thanks!” to emails they absolutely hate, and speaks in a tone so painfully corporate that even Siri sounds more human.

And we’re all expected to agree that this is the pinnacle of maturity.

Is it?

I’ve noticed something interesting.

The people who constantly demand respect are rarely the ones who naturally command it.

Look at a fighter pilot. A surgeon. A scientist. An athlete at the top of their game. You don’t respect them because someone reminded you to.

You just do.

Not because they’re “professional.”

Because they’ve earned it.

The funny thing about truly accomplished people is that they rarely seem obsessed with whether you respect them or not. Their work speaks loudly enough that they don’t need to.

The louder someone screams, “You need to respect me because I’m your senior,” the more I wonder what else they’re bringing to the table.

Real respect has never needed a dress code.

Then there’s my favourite corporate fairytale.

“We’re a family.”

Are we, though?

Because last I checked, families don’t tell you that crying is unprofessional.

Families don’t schedule emotional breakdowns for after office hours.

Families don’t ask you to “circle back” when you’re exhausted.

If we’re actually family, am I inheriting equity?

No?

Just stress, hair fall and an ergonomic chair?

Interesting.

Corporate culture loves emotional language until employees start having actual emotions.

Apparently celebrating birthdays is culture.

Having feelings isn’t.

My favourite example of performative professionalism, however, has to be AI.

Universities tell students not to use AI.

Companies ask candidates to handwrite assignments so they can’t use AI.

Meanwhile…

The university’s convocation post?

AI-generated.

The company’s LinkedIn page?

AI-generated.

The CEO’s inspirational quote about innovation?

Probably AI-generated too.

I’m not even arguing that they shouldn’t use AI.

Use it.

It’s a tool.

What fascinates me is the confidence with which people publicly do the exact thing they privately forbid everyone else from doing.

“Rules for thee, but not for me” has somehow become an accepted management philosophy.

And then people wonder why younger generations roll their eyes whenever someone starts talking about professionalism.

Maybe the problem isn’t that young people don’t respect authority.

Maybe they just have a much lower tolerance for hypocrisy.

Professionalism, in its purest form, should simply mean doing your job well.

Being competent.

Keeping your word.

Owning your mistakes.

Treating people decently.

That’s it.

It shouldn’t require pretending you don’t have a personality.

It shouldn’t require acting like work is your entire identity.

And it definitely shouldn’t mean respecting someone simply because they’ve occupied a chair longer than you have.

Competence earns respect.

Integrity keeps it.

Everything else is just theatre.

And if professionalism is nothing more than expensive theatre with Outlook calendars and buzzwords…

I’d rather be called unprofessional.