Who do you respect, and why?
calambrac: I really respect people who know their own shortcomings, and work hard to overcome them.  In an effort to live up to my own ideal, I acknowledge that I often fail in this regard, and often catch myself dismissing something I don't immediately understand.The converse of that is that it's always sad to me to meet someone who can't admit what they don't know, or can't acknowledge the achievements of others.  All of the people I've known that I consider brilliant have also had an amazing amount of humility about what they didn't know, and have been fast to praise the achievements of others.  It's a goal I strive for, but again, I know I often fall short.