Mr, Mrs – bestowing respect to ‘ordinary’ people

Today, for many of us, the honorifics Mr and Mrs may seem a thing of the past or even reactionary. But in fact, applying Mr and Mrs to ‘ordinary’ people is a sign of the de-hierarchization of the society and a step towards equality. According to Wikipedia, “historically, mister was applied only to those above one's own status ic they had no higher title such as Sir or my lord in the English class system. That understanding is now obsolete, as it was gradually expanded as a mark of respect to those of equal status and then to all men without a higher style.”