Respect
The gi is a leveler. To don the uniform is an act of courage. To wear it is sometimes to forego dignity in exchange for untidy learning.
People with no self-respect frequently demand unearned respect from others. They obsess over what they wrongly believe they are owed. If I show you disrespect, it’s because I don’t respect you. You dont impress me. I don’t respect the self-appointed or the self-deluded.
I respect my teachers enough to start from the start. A man who can’t wear a white belt and set aside his pride to learn is not a man. Some among us wrongly equate popularity with veracity, volume with merit, and notoriety with regard. Always chose truth, not public opinion.