Photograph: Nina Christensen

Dear Old-Schooler: I’m currently at a job where my boss acts like I’m incompetent. How do I get her to treat me with respect, and give me more incentive to work hard?—Kristine C., 24, Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Lucia Fiorletta, 82, Jamaica, Queens
Well, the first thing you have to realize, whether you’re a boss or a worker, is that nobody’s perfect. And your boss might have a lot of sociological or mental problems, and this is the only way she can feel superior. Sometimes you just have to take it. Try to be social: Say, “Good morning” and “Hope you had a good weekend,” stuff like that. You have to understand that we’re all human beings, we’re all in the same place, and our lives are passing each other. Pray for a better day, and thank God for the good things: “I have a job, I get paid every so often.…” You can’t change someone, but you can change yourself. I was in therapy one time and I saw people who didn’t have feet; it made me grateful for my health. The other thing is hope—you have to have hope that something good is going to come from this. Maybe praying will bring peace to you.

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