"Dogs don't take good barking as good, and people don't take good words as good." Zhuangzi used this sentence to warn us that we can't judge whether we have virtue by "kind words". Zhuangzi's words are a warning, because we may still make mistakes in this respect, which is a human weakness.
Speaking of human weakness, listening to compliments is probably one of them. Even though Zhuang Zi warned us thousands of years ago not to be fooled by "kind words", how much have we changed? Sometimes, we like to listen to what the opposite person says, knowing it is a lie. In Japan, a country that appreciates others very stingy, there has actually appeared a profession that relies on "flattering" for a living. Two young people named Xiao Shan and Mizuno opened their props on a busy street in Tokyo: a big bulletin board with the words "flattery room" written on it, 100 yen per minute; A red undershirt that says "professional flatterer". The business of this "flattery house" is booming. On the one hand, it reflects the indifference of interpersonal relationship and the tension of work there. Some people are willing to pay for compliments and try to adjust their depressed mood. On the other hand, Xiao Shan and Mizuno saw this clearly, so they took advantage of it. Earn 65,438+000 yen easily in one minute.
Flattery does not distinguish between times, social systems and countries. In his masterpiece The Miser, the French playwright Moliere vividly expressed this "flattering philosophy" through the mouth of a character named Falaer: "The best way to win the trust of important people is to appeal to their hobbies in front of him, praise their mottos, praise their shortcomings and praise their actions. Don't be afraid to be too careful. Although you can tell at a glance that you are teasing them, even the smartest people are willing to fall for flattery. "
Of course, it doesn't hurt to listen to flattery once in a while, but if you get into the habit of listening to flattery and not listening to different opinions, there are some dangers hidden for those who do leadership work. A western philosopher once said, "Many people who kiss your hand may be the ones who want to cut off your hand." There are countless such lessons from ancient times to the present, so everyone should be good at saying flattery and well-meaning flattery, and also be good at listening to others' flattery and distinguishing between true and false.