Don’t Believe It By Paul Chappell Monday, Oct 7, 2013 "With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him." Proverbs 7:21 The 2004 presidential election was expected to be close, and it was. Early in the afternoon of election day the first round of exit polls showed Senator John Kerry with a significant lead over incumbent President George Bush in several key states. A long-time Democratic strategist with the Kerry campaign, Bob Shrum walked up to the Senator and said, “Can I be the first to call you Mr. President?” Of course when the actual votes were counted, Mr. Bush defeated Mr. Kerry, and Shrum’s premature statement was proven incorrect. It was later revealed that he had said something very similar to then Vice President Al Gore during the 2000 election four years earlier. There are many tools that people use to try to influence others, but one of the most effective is flattery. The old saying, “Flattery will get you nowhere” is belied by centuries of human experience. Flattery often works quite effectively at shaping the opinions and actions of another. For example when Daniel’s enemies wanted King Darius to sign the decree forbidding anyone from praying to any god except the king himself, they did not reveal their true purpose. They painted a picture of bringing honor and respect to Darius, and he foolishly went along with their plot. Only the intervention of an angel prevented Daniel from being devoured by the lions. That story points out the danger of flattery. It is a safe conclusion that the person trying to get you to do something by flattery is thinking far more about themselves than about what is good for you. While valid compliments are both appropriate and powerful, flattery focuses on unearned praise and tries to build up pride in the heart of the hearer. Today’s Proverbs Precept: Be on guard when someone comes to you with flattering words; you can be sure they do not have your best interest at heart.
Posted on: Mon, 07 Oct 2013 14:04:08 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015