In her book "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?", Mindy Kaling reflects on her upbringing and the lessons instilled by her parents. They taught her to be respectful, to keep quiet, and to generally defer to adults, assuming that most interactions would involve wise and capable figures. This guidance helped shape her interactions during childhood, promoting a sense of respect and decorum.

However, Kaling acknowledges a missing piece in this advice—while her parents prepared her for encounters with worthy adults, they did not warn her that not all authority figures would be competent. There was no caution against blindly following those who might not deserve respect, highlighting the importance of questioning authority when necessary and recognizing that not all adults, despite their titles, have the right to be followed without scrutiny.