Molly squibbles. Roscoe gargles gravel. My doggies “sweet talk” when they tell me what they want or how much they love me. Most of us would be very embarrassed if the whole world could hear how we sweet talk to our pets in private. “Stinky butt” or “Mollywally” aren’t very respectable dog names. Bring a baby or a puppy on to the scene and people get all mushy; “Oh what a good little boy you are.”,or “She’s so cute and sweet.” Some women have success talking to their husbands the same way. I was never very good at “catching more flies with honey”…I preferred “to put a bee” in his bike helmet. When talking to babies we tend to raise our voices an octave or more. Babies prefer a high pitched voice. When we say, “Pretty please!”we also speak with a higher pitch and a sweet voice. How something is said can be more important than what we say.
We may say “Flattery…will get you nowhere”, but we all know flattery does get you somewhere, often a very long way. It’s like a diet of junk food and sugar for the psyche. The “Emperor With No Clothes On” shows his naked, fat butt as he struts to his throne. Flattery or “kissing ass” in action. His dressers told him he looked splendid in his new purple robe and he believed them…i.e. see the yes-men Congressmen flatter and kiss Trump’s behind for an excellent example of brown-nosing. ( ick). They are stepping on each other to fawn over their leader by spewing insincere and excessive praise. Their goal is to gain favor with Trump:“What can he do for me?”. They believe that he controls their political future. The halls of government are swarmed with flatterers, and a lot of shiny boots with all the boot-licking going on.
What’s the harm or danger with flattery? This depends on the motive and goal of the flatterer, how easily someone can be manipulated, and what the consequences are! I want you to know how special you are is a long ways from “What can I get from you if I manipulate you with flattery?” Are you trying to get ahead, get information, or deceive someone.? Leaders who are weak and ignorant and thrive on flattery, can be talked into crashing the course of history. Who is going to tell dear leader that he is “wrong”, and he is being manipulated by people who want to do harm. Hearing how great you are is very pleasant, but if what is being served to you is a shit sandwich of flattery, you will soon be hungry again.
Sweet-talk: way of talking to someone in a pleasing or funny way in order to persuade them to do or believe something. i.e.. “Honey can you get me a beer?” Or “You big, strong man can you move this for me.” So if there are people around you who praise your every decision, who tell you how smart you are, how wise you are, how brave you are, be assured these people want you to do something for them. These are the flatterers, the smooth talkers who have ulterior motives. Encourage people around you to tell you the truth even though truth can hurt us. This is easier said than done when people in power have invested in lies to stay in power. This “ House of Cards” is held up by flattery. I don’t know about you, but I bet you agree that being thought a fool by most everyone who smiles to our faces is not how I want to live.
Back to babies and puppies. I hope most of the sweet- talking I do is to get babies to smile and puppies to wiggle with joy.
Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.
Rudyard Kipling
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