The silly practice of fawning behaviour

This week’s Mediahuis Irish regional newspapers’ column

Michael Commane

You don’t hear it as often today as in the past. It’s that expression: ‘It’s not what you know but who(sic) you know.’ 

It was regularly thrown out when it was perceived a person got the job not through their merit or ability but rather because of whom they knew in the company or organisation. And that other expression we seldom if ever hear now - ‘they had pull’.

Is the world a far more egalitarian place these days? Qualified and knowledgeable people most likely will get the jobs they deserve. But that’s not to say all the old rules of engagement of pull and knowing the right people do not still play a role in landing the good jobs. 

Whatever about getting to the top through influence and personal connections there is another aspect to the world of jobs and human interconnection that’s difficult to take. And that is the art of sycophancy. 

Dictionary definition of the word is fawning behaviour towards someone important in order to gain advantage. Art is not the correct word to use, but if it is, then sycophancy is the lowest form of art. 

It’s the ability always being on the side of authority, always searching out the in-people of the moment and making sure to be seen with them and agreeing with them.

 

Maybe I’m inclined to talk about it because I’ve never been in a position of authority or power in all my working life. Sour grapes?

 

Everywhere I’ve worked I’ve encountered people who make it their business to curry favour with the boss or right people. We are all aware of the antics of those who sidle up to the boss. 

There is something sneaky, maybe even dishonest about them. They make sure to say and do all the right things to the boss and often it pays off and they end up getting promotion. 

It’s really the way of the world. It happens everywhere, in politics, in business, the army, the church. I can imagine there is no grouping or organisation that does not suffer from the dread disease of sycophancy.

And if you give it a moment’s thought isn’t it total nonsense and the essence of perfect superficiality. It’s almost akin to a form of self imposed slavery.

 

I’d go as far as saying that the world of advertising makes large sums of money cashing in on our tendency to be sycophants.

I have seen it within the clerical Catholic Church. How some priests sidle up to bishops and provincials. It comes across as a type of disease.  Whatever we might think we still doff the cap at the ‘right people’.

Think of the titles clerics gave themselves and still do.

Pope Benedict has insightful words to say on sycophancy: ‘Judas is neither a master of evil nor the figure of a demoniacal power of darkness but rather a sycophant who bows down before the anonymous power of changing moods and current fashion.’ 

I wonder what Benedict thought about those who sidled up to him? I’ll never find out. 

Lent, which begins this Wednesday, is an ideal time to pray against all forms of sycophancy and maybe even to desist from the practice.