Leaderboard

We stand for those we respect, either voluntarily or compulsorily, according to social norms. We stand for the judge AND the jury in a courtroom. Soldiers stand at attention for their commanders. Does everyone stand for the President? (I'm thinking of the press corps - do journalists stand at a press conference when the President enters?) Here in the Deep South, some of us stand for women whenever they stand, and sit after they sit. I suspect standing for an authoritative figure goes back to emperors and kings, who were usually military leaders. Standing for self-proclaimed religious leaders has its tradition in the Catholic Church - not 1st century, not Paul (as much as he would have loved the attention). If one has to whine about others standing for him, one doesn't deserve the gesture of respect. Whining about such a thing tips one's hand to one's illegitimacy.

Yep. Central. Fundamental. Foundational. His deeply profound insecurity may not be mentioned enough, but this quality is clearly evident in every letter to his early congregational off-shoot, every Corpse letter, and even in quotations attributed to him in POP. Though much of POP is spurious, the quotes showing his whiny insecurities are too embarrassing to be made up by a sycophant like Greer, they are an unintentional indictment of his narcissism.

Right! People who actually earned an accredited degree don't insist on being called "Doctor" all the time. vpw's insistence on being addressed by his unaccredited "doctor" is really more about insecurity than anything else.

Many of the more formal and higher church denominations begin a worship service with a procession into the church of clergy, acolytes, attendants and others involved in the service during the opening hymn. It is generally customary for the congregation to stand. That has been happening for over a thousand years The intent is not to honor the clergy but for the congregation to recognize and participate in the beginning of the worship service. I know hundreds of clergy from various denominations, this is the only instance that I can think of where someone is expected to stand “when clergy enters the room”.. I have no idea but it could partly be a bastardization and misinterpretation of that... but mostly i think it is due to overblown egos, and fragile sense of self importance