Concept Excavation Three: Flattery
Stephanie Purtle
Flattery was always negative in Plato’s times. Rhetoric is a branch of flattery according to Gorgias, and from there a definition of flattery can be constructed. Flattery is an art which falsely represents other arts that “always have the greatest good of the soul or the body in view.”[1] Flattery’s misrepresentations don’t consider the greatest good; instead enticing the ignorant with pleasure so they view that art as most important. Plato calls flattery foul.[2]
Stengel’s history of the term provides another Greek conception of flattery: Flattery is undemocratic. Greeks disapproved of hierarchies [3], and flattering someone was identifying something above average about that person. It was also self-abasement. Politicians who flattered the demos [4] for personal gain were called demagogues. Plato believed “political oratory… was to improve men, not gratify them,”[5] and his primary complaint about democracy was the demos are too easily deceived. (Hence Plato placed demagogues just above tyrants in his hierarchy of souls.[6]) The Greeks viewed flattery as democracy’s potential downfall because it could allow disingenuous demagogues to gain power.
Eventually flattery’s conception shifted. The Greeks didn’t concern themselves with flattering individuals because it was flattering the demos that could destroy democracy. “As Greek democracy came undone… flattery turned inward and became more private and personal… There was no demos to flatter.”[7] Social hierarchies led people to flatter their superiors because now everyone wasn’t equal. One was expected to flatter the king not the person ruling as king, position over person. However, once Western society became more individualistic, one had to flatter the individual’s attributes, not the position, which brings us to today.
Flattery’s contemporary conception differs because now any praise is flattery.[8] Stengel says we’re more relativistic than ancient Greeks, and we think flattery is “a manipulation of the truth.”[9] Today, the speaker’s sincerity is scrutinized instead, and flattery is just a necessary tool for success.[10] Flattery isn’t automatically a bad thing.
Stengel’s expert definition: “Flattery is strategic praise,” and uses language to accomplish and conceal goals simultaneously.[11] The concepts’ tensions derive from its evolution. Since flattery became more individualistic we imagine “used car salesman” not someone flattering the masses. Regan and Clinton flattered
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Plato’s Gorgias p. 25
[2] Plato’s Gorgias p. 25
[3] Obviously only for citizens, not for slaves or women
[4] meaning “people” in the collective sense
[5] Stengel, Richard. (2000) You’re Too Kind: A Brief History of Flattery. (p. 94)
[6] Plato’s Phaedrus p. 31
[7] Stengel, p. 91
3 comments:
Does flattery truly destroy a demos? An underlying concept must be true if praising a person would artifically higher their 'ranking' within society. The society would have to be full of equal people. Greek society was not equal to all people, and interestingly at the expense of continuing a sense of community, foreigners were excluded, women were excluded (as were 'O'thers). To continue an idea of equality it became important to rid flattery of a positive use. Interestingly flattery was associated with sophists (foreigners) and woman. Dismissing flattery also creates an artificial divide between flattery/(accurate portrayal of persons character---can't think of a great word). To make it appear that some people were truly worthy of their role within the polis, but is not every politicians plight to increase their status?
Prior to our lengthy discussions in class, when I thought of what it meant to be "flattered" I thought of its use in a positive light. For example, "I'm flattered that you asked me to fulfill this position but..." Because "flatter" has a negative definition that is rooted in insincere praise, it's interesting that a respondent can acknowledge the use of flattery without offending the person the initially executed it. Softening a decline with the use of "I'm flattered" is perplexing.
Sarah,
One of the most common quotes about flattery says, and don't quote me cause I don't know the exact words, that someone feels they need to flatter you is one of the highest forms of flattery. Also, this book discusses flattery throughout history, which includes the Bible to present day. He says modern flattery doesn't appear to be flattery outright. We flatter through celebrity and other indirect means.
It's all very fascinating, which makes me all the more irritated that coach from Ladue High School bottomed me in finals at state districts. She said flattery can never be a good thing. I will never forget you Linda Box!
I would also like to note I had a really great title for that speech, which I still find clever almost 8 years later: Kiss Behind to Get Ahead. Brilliant!
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