The fox and the crow

One of Aesop’s greatest fables is “The Fox and The Crow.” The story is quite simple. A hungry fox is wandering around in search of food. It notices a crow on top of a tree, with a piece of cheese in its beak. To retrieve the cheese, the fox begins flattering the crow. The fox speaks of the beautiful voice of the crow, and how pretty the crow looks. The fox says it would love the crow to sing in its beautiful voice. The gullible crow gives in to the fox’s request and opens its beak to sing. The cheese falls straight to the fox. In the end, the fox taunts the crow for its gullibility!

The world is full of such foxes and crows. This insincere attitude to gain advantage is called sycophancy. The foxes, in this case, are sycophants. And they exist everywhere, displaying their skills every once in a while. From business, bureaucracy, and family to friends, sycophants know how to fulfil their desires. The sycophants are in a constant need for more, from those who live in abundance. The one who wants the advantage will flatter, the one who can give the advantage is flattered.

The root of sycophancy lies in the advantageous and the disadvantageous. There are two kinds of people, the masters and the slaves. The masters are powerful and highborn. They decide what is good for them and what is not. The masters are privileged. The slaves, unlike the masters, are weak and aggressive. They yearn for sympathy and pity, and their moral code is the exact opposite of the masters. If the masters like it, the slaves don’t.

The slaves want to have more. They want to be advantageous but are not. They think the only way to achieve a goal is by using the masters. The slaves flatter and allure the masters. This adds to the masters’ ego, making them feel superior and titled. The master feels grandiose and revered, while the slaves get what they want. Once the goal is achieved, the slave abandons the flattery. The master is left gullible for another slave to come and go.

This cycle continues. Sycophancy, in essence, is dangerous. It abuses relationships and connections, equating them with a material goal rather than a sincere bond. Sincerity in relationships is the reason why society doesn’t collapse. It is the reason that keeps social structures and families intact. Sycophancy attacks the root of all society, bonds. Alienation and betrayal are a direct consequence of a sycophantic relationship. When the goal is achieved, the bond is broken. Sycophancy is harmful to both the master and the slave.

The master is kept in a delusion of being gracious and powerful, while their real influence is rather undermined. The one who flatters is left in a cycle of dependence on others. No matter how much a sycophant gains, they will know that power doesn’t come from them, it was begged for. The illusion of advantage is dangerous for the sycophant, although not apparent, their credibility is based on a hollow void.

Those with advantages have a great role to play here. They comprise a small section of society. The top representatives, the influential icons, the group or the head of a family. They are under a constant threat of being exploited by their underlings, and they must be on the lookout for any type of sycophancy. The world is full of people who want to be advantaged, and no one can stop them. But those who are powerful must be aware, their caution is best for them and the sycophants.

 (The author is a student of Humanities at DPS Srinagar)