the.com/flattery
the art of telling people exactly what they already believe about themselves.
means Excessive or insincere praise, usually offered to please someone or to gain an advantage.
from From Old French 'flaterie,' from the verb 'flater' — to stroke, smooth, or caress with the hand. The image is wonderfully physical: to flatter is to pet someone with words, smoothing them down like you'd soothe a nervous animal. The root is likely Germanic, related to words meaning 'to pat' or 'to flatten,' which is why the praise lies so flat and even — every rough edge of truth pressed comfortably out of the way.
- root meaning
- From Old French to flatten or stroke smooth
- con artist tool
- Cult leaders use praise to lower defenses fast
- brain chemistry
- Compliments trigger the same reward as cash
- imitation clause
- Sincerest flattery costs nothing and proves it
for instance
instagram influencer culture — followers flattering posts with comments and likes for algorithmic visibility, core mechanism of the platform since 2010