If you always thought that “Be nice to people on your way up, because you might meet them on your way down” is a silly saying, you might want to consider the following case in point, brought to us by Muammar Gaddafi of Libya:
You won’t forget this rule ever again, will you?
The Happy Hermit 
In his case, the rule might need an addendum of “Be nice to people WHILE you are still up, or the ride down will be a bear”. Or whatever word you choose to insert in place of “bear”. :D
The images are gory but they prove your point.
Pingback: Where are the 12,000 US Soldiers on Malta? | The Happy Hermit – Andreas Moser's Blog