Sycophants Beware

My wife read me Helen Henderson's column in this past Saturday Star's Life section, titled: We stoop to conquer. Henderson introduced me to a new word this weekend: sycophant -- defined as,

A servile self-seeker who attempts to win favor by flattering influential people. [Source: Reference.com]

In her article, Henderson queries her readers:

Are the yea-sayers in the ascendant these days? Is the world steeped in the cult of the crony?

I sometimes wonder the very thing. In my day-to-day, I regularly encounter those that fear authority, or are looking to curry favour, and in response, kowtow and display stomach-churning reverence. The problem isn't the weasels' alone. It's those that bask in the weasel's adoration and fear. I know I'm sometimes guilty of holding my tongue -- usually because the survival instincts kick-in -- but too often have I been advised to curtail my tone or in one form or another, cripple the strength of my arguments in order not to offend. Offense goes two ways. To offend, one has to generate offense and the other has to take offense. Too often, for the sake of diminishing any chance of giving offense, words are corrupted, ideas perverted. The result is any thing but communication -- and the sycophant wins!

Questioning authority is good. Authority should encourage questioning -- seek it out. Only in an environment where debate is healthy; opinions invited; and risk taking the norm, will the best be achieved -- be it in at work, at play or in the world in general. [PDF]