Mit Reklaw’s Truth on Sycophantism

What the hell is does that word even mean?

            By definition, sycophantism is the process of using flattery to win favour from people wielding influence…

Realistically, it’s being a greaser, an arse-kisser; it’s sucking up to your boss because you’re a pretty girl and he’s a fat, loveless loser who buckles under the slightest sexual advance. That, my dear, is an example of your latent sycophant stepping forward. While more commonly seen in some than others, believe me, this is a trait held by everyone. Smarmy or manipulative men could be considered sycophants; pretty women definitely have this ability and in fact, most will use it.

For instance: a suave, handsome man knows that he can acquire certain liberties by turning on his God-given, agreeable and largely irresistible charm; as an attractive woman, you know that by making a less than desirable man feel as though he maybe has a shot with you or at least, by making him feel desirable, you have effectively earned yourself concessions beyond that of your peers.

Most girls undoubtedly perceive this shameless display of gushing, flirting and all round obsequious behaviour as a harmless lark and probably in most cases, for them, it’s a bit of fun – seeing how far they can push their allure and so forth. No big deal, right? They know there’s no substance behind their actions…

So I wonder how it appears from the other side? What about the naïve souls who are hurt by it – those poor suckers who allow themselves to be taken in by sycophantism, made to feel exceptional; only to be given the doormat treatment before being carelessly, callously tossed aside?

To have one’s hopes elevated then subsequently trampled is difficult for anyone to handle; so what about the others? What about those people who are not taken in and therefore feel no benefit? If somebody is coming out of a situation significantly more exalted than their contemporaries and for no significant reason, surely that will arouse distrust, contempt or even resentment… Of course it will. It smacks of injustice.

Sycophantism has the potential to cause anarchy amid an otherwise civilised environment.

That is the shit of it. Just as ‘obsequious’ is a term for ‘over attentive in order to gain favour’, ‘sycophantism’ is basically a mellifluous euphemism for saying ‘lying through one’s teeth in order to gain favour’. This is why it is such a bullshit practice. It’s selfish in that there is generally only one winner; it’s thoughtless in that there are generally a whole lot of losers; it’s deplorable in that one must generally pull on a cloak of insincerity to make it work.

While it is a technique employed by most everyone – with or without their conscious approval – I can almost guarantee that the majority of sycophants have never given their ‘use of flattery to win favour’ a second thought. One thing I can guarantee is that these people have never paused to consider whether their sycophantism was going to maim in the long run.

It is my opinion that disingenuousness, dishonesty, disloyalty; deceitfulness has become a veritable scourge on modern life. Sycophantism is a prevailing manner in which the aforementioned is pervaded.

It is a joke. This is the punchline. All one has to do in order to curb this variety of misconduct is to stop trying to be so damned likeable all the time, say and act the way you feel, piss off a few people and for once, just show your true self.

Or is that too much to ask? Have I said something negative? Did I offend you?

Pull your bloody head in.

 

 

Article by Mit Reklaw

Edited by P S Doff

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