Sycophancy
Quotes
It is more than just gullibility that explains the phenomenon
of the
Authoritarian
followers. Can you imagine John Yoo, Alberto
Gonzales, or David Petraeus going against the will of George W. Bush on any
matter when he was in power? That would be highly unlikely because their
positions of high power depended entirely on putting all their energy into
anticipating the needs of and pleasing their “leader”. George Bush started out
the same way. As governor of Texas, all his efforts went into pleasing his
corporate cronies. In return, they rewarded him handsomely by ensuring his
material wealth and serving as a power base for his climb to the presidency.
Lobaczewski describes the process as one of sycophancy: "They
initially perform subordinate functions in such a movement and execute the
leaders’ orders, especially whenever something needs to be done which inspires
revulsion in others. Their evident zealotry and cynicism gives rise to criticism
on the part of the more reasonable members, but it also earns the respect of
some its more extreme revolutionaries. They thus find protection among those
people who earlier played a role in the movement’s ponerization, and repay the
favor with compliments or by making things easier for them. Thus they climb up
the organizational ladder, gain influence, and almost involuntarily bend the
contents of the entire group to their own way of experiencing reality and to the
goals derived from their deviant nature."
[2010
August ] Time for Change: Why the Corrupt
Few Wreak So Much Death, Destruction, and Suffering on the Rest of us
Fortunately for Carol and I, sycophants are not attracted to
us, so when we mention a modification they don't create a cacophony of
imitation. I think they don't glue themselves to us because we insist on
accountability and discernment. If I sought a following I certainly wouldn't
post objections like this one
DB often complained to me that he's
plagued by sycophants every time he makes a public effort and I simply replied
that they're simply attracted to his air of authority, so he ought consider
being a regular guy, like me. A lot of people atually crave authority and to be
put on a pedestal and that worked fine (or it didn't according to one's view of
history) in the receding paradigm but it just doesn't work at all in the
emerging one. These folks usually end up goign nuts, now. The 'new age' is for
retiring beta personalities, apparently; not for the strident alphas
I think the meek are inheriting the earth. ~Don
Re: My New Croft CB.