Unless I truly know someone, I’ve always had a thing for not telling someone they are good looking, or good at doing this or that, because I know vanity leads to disappointment. When you praise someone for their performance or their looks, it raises the bar for their expectations. It sets them up for the next bigger “fix”. When it doesn’t come, disappointment sets in. Instead of using flattery, try praising someone’s character, who they are, not what they do. It will build them up, giving them motivation to continue to practice those qualities. Flattery may get you brownie points, but eventually will catch you in a trap. Once there, it’s hard to escape. Flattery comes from shallow people wanting something from you. Praise comes from those that love you, wanting nothing but the best for you.
5 To flatter friends is to lay a trap for their feet.
Proverbs 29:5
An Ordinary Man's Pursuit of the Extraordinary God of the Bible. These are daily insights from reading the Bible from cover to cover yearly. It is intended to point others to the Truth, and inspire people to pursue the God of the Bible individually.
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