A Bitter Truth..! Silent Competence and the Spotlight of Opportunists and Careerists

italiatelegraph

 Dr. Abdellah Chanfar

Through a structural and synthetic analysis, this piece addresses a persistent issue common to both developing and advanced societies: the absence of symbolic justice in recognition within professional spaces — a value whose importance grows in institutions lacking a culture of objective evaluation.
The intended audience includes administrators, employees, academics, civil society actors, and even students preparing to enter the professional world.
It also serves as a valuable entry point for workshops on human resource management, motivation, and ethical governance within organizations.
This is an opinion article par excellence — one that could find its place in high-level intellectual and media platforms. It blends reflective and analytical tones without losing connection to real-life experiences, giving it a dual function: raising awareness and motivating at once.
This kind of reflective writing with a strong ethical undertone can form the nucleus of a comprehensive file on workplace ethics and symbolic justice in institutions.
In a deep and eloquent metaphor, a wise man once said that honey, when it dissolves in a cup of tea or coffee, disappears quietly — allowing the drink to boast of its taste, even though its original flavor is bitter as gall. Yet no one mentions the honey, although it is what gives the drink its sweetness…
This mirrors the reality in many institutions and societies, where competent individuals work silently, building and achieving — while opportunists and careerists, masters of self-promotion, claim the successes for themselves, conveniently forgetting the real efforts made behind the scenes.
In professional environments, it is often the competent who are consumed by their tasks, while those skilled in climbing over others’ shoulders take center stage. It is like a theatrical play, where the spotlight shines only on the lead actor, while the true team that ensures the performance’s success remains hidden in the shadows, far from applause. Over time, the audience forgets them entirely.
But just as honey gives flavor to the drink, genuine competence is the invisible force behind every success — even if it never gets illuminated.
One vital question remains: how can sincere, hardworking individuals gain the recognition they deserve without losing their humility?
The answer, in summary:
The solution is not in boastfulness, but in striking a smart balance between hard work and thoughtful visibility; between dedication to performance and the ability to communicate one’s effort with intelligence and professionalism. Speaking about one’s achievements is not shameful — what matters is how it’s done: in a way that earns respect, recognition, and esteem — without pretension or display.
What is required is not pride in achievement, but mastery of it — and the ability to express it in a manner that commands respect without seeking it, and that highlights the impact of the work, rather than just the image of the person.

italiatelegraph