Whether Flattery Is a Sin?
Objection 1: It seems that flattery is not a sin. For flattery
consists in words of praise offered to another in order to please
him. But it is not a sin to praise a person, according to Prov.
31:28, "Her children rose up and called her blessed: her husband, and
he praised her." Moreover, there is no evil in wishing to please
others, according to 1 Cor. 10:33, "I . . . in all things please all
men." Therefore flattery is not a sin.
Obj. 2: Further, evil is contrary to good, and blame to praise. But
it is not a sin to blame evil. Neither, then, is it a sin to praise
good, which seems to belong to flattery. Therefore flattery is not a
sin.
Obj. 3: Further, detraction is contrary to flattery. Wherefore
Gregory says (Moral. xxii, 5) that detraction is a remedy against
flattery. "It must be observed," says he, "that by the wonderful
moderation of our Ruler, we are often allowed to be rent by
detractions but are uplifted by immoderate praise, so that whom the
voice of the flatterer upraises, the tongue of the detractor may
humble." But detraction is an evil, as stated above (Q. 73, AA. 2,
3). Therefore flattery is a good.
_On the contrary,_ A gloss on Ezech. 13:18, "Woe to them that sew
cushions under every elbow," says, "that is to say, sweet flattery."
Therefore flattery is a sin.
_I answer that,_ As stated above (Q. 114, A. 1, ad 3), although the
friendship of which we have been speaking, or affability, intends
chiefly the pleasure of those among whom one lives, yet it does not
fear to displease when it is a question of obtaining a certain good,
or of avoiding a certain evil. Accordingly, if a man were to wish
always to speak pleasantly to others, he would exceed the mode of
pleasing, and would therefore sin by excess. If he do this with the
mere intention of pleasing he is said to be "complaisant," according
to the Philosopher (Ethic. iv, 6): whereas if he do it with the
intention of making some gain out of it, he is called a "flatterer"
or "adulator." As a rule, however, the term "flattery" is wont to be
applied to all who wish to exceed the mode of virtue in pleasing
others by words or deeds in their ordinary behavior towards their
fellows.
Reply Obj. 1: One may praise a person both well and ill, according as
one observes or omits the due circumstances. For if while observing
other due circumstances one were to wish to please a person by
praising him, in order thereby to console him, or that he may strive
to make progress in good, this will belong to the aforesaid virtue of
friendship. But it would belong to flattery, if one wished to praise
a person for things in which he ought not to be praised; since
perhaps they are evil, according to Ps. 9:24, "The sinner is praised
in the desires of his soul"; or they may be uncertain, according to
Ecclus. 27:8, "Praise not a man before he speaketh," and again
(Ecclus. 11:2), "Praise not a man for his beauty"; or because there
may be fear lest human praise should incite him to vainglory,
wherefore it is written, (Ecclus. 11:30), "Praise not any man before
death." Again, in like manner it is right to wish to please a man in
order to foster charity, so that he may make spiritual progress
therein. But it would be sinful to wish to please men for the sake of
vainglory or gain, or to please them in something evil, according to
Ps. 52:6, "God hath scattered the bones of them that please men," and
according to the words of the Apostle (Gal. 1:10), "If I yet pleased
men, I should not be the servant of Christ."
Reply Obj. 2: Even to blame evil is sinful, if due circumstances be
not observed; and so too is it to praise good.
Reply Obj. 3: Nothing hinders two vices being contrary to one
another. Wherefore even as detraction is evil, so is flattery, which
is contrary thereto as regards what is said, but not directly as
regards the end. Because flattery seeks to please the person
flattered, whereas the detractor seeks not the displeasure of the
person defamed, since at times he defames him in secret, but seeks
rather his defamation.
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