What is flattery?

What Does flattery Mean

Adulation , from the Latin adulatĭo , is the action and effect of adular (doing or saying what is believed to be pleasing to another). Flattery is usually self-serving, with the intention of obtaining some kind of benefit or recognition. For example: "Mariano remains firm with flattery so that the boss names him supervisor" , "The awards are distributed by merit: I'm not interested in flattery" , "Flattery paid off and the woman ended up hiring the young man . "

It is important to establish, in addition to all that has been stated so far, that flattery is an action that has existed since ancient times. So much so that we can find endless ways to represent it, although two are the most common and well-known:

• As a person who is kissing the feet of another due to the fact that this action has a positive impact on whoever does it.

• Like a very elegant woman who is playing a flute while a large number of bees fly around her, showing their stingers.

The kings of history around the world are some of the characters that have been seen and are most flattered by a multitude of citizens, either by mere inertia or as a way to obtain some type of benefit from them.
Flattery, also known as flattery , is affected praise that is not tied to respect or congratulations for real merit. If a person comes across a soccer player on the street and tells him that he admires him for his talent, it is not a flattery, but a sincere phrase and an affectionate greeting. On the other hand, if a subject tells a friend that he considers him a great person who is characterized by his solidarity because he is waiting for this friend to invite him to eat at his house, we are facing flattery since the supposed compliment is a ruse to sensitize others.
You also have to know that there are various types of flattery, although they all share its essence. Specifically, among the most significant are the following:

• Malicious or harmful. It is the one that is done not only by an individual for his own benefit but also concealing an evil and perverse purpose.

• Safe. It is the one that is carried out without any kind of bad intention, on the contrary, with the clear objective that the flattered person can be the beneficiary himself. A clear example of this is when the teacher flatters a specific student to improve their motivation and thus study more and be able to perform much better in class.
Typically, the grossest examples of flattery take place in the upper echelons of power. Monarchs, presidents and leaders often have sycophants who go around listing their virtues, with the aim of winning the favor of those who rule. The flatterer believes that, having the sympathy of the powerful, he will take it into account for the distribution of gifts or, at least, to avoid eventual punishments.

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