Flattery is excessive praise which is often insincere and villainous. Our minds often get corrupt when someone praises us and we tend to believe that the praising person is our well-wisher. However, it is often found that the person who praises us endlessly has some evil design against us in his or her mind. But the problem is that flattery is like the sweet poison which we prefer to drink willingly without knowing the lethal consequences it leads to in the end. When we are flattered by someone we are often unable to decide properly whether the praising person has any evil design against us or his only aim is to make us feel happy.
Young and innocent people are often more vulnerable in this case and become easy victims of flattery. The flatterers cunningly trap them into take such faulty decisions which lead to their own destruction and devastation. The teenage is particularly the most vulnerable period of life in front of this sweet poison. The boys and girls are trapped easily by cunning predators in a skillful manner at this immature age. When anyone praises the beauty of a young person his or her mind gets completely corrupted he feels that the praising person is a real friend and trusts his or her every word and deed. Thus the vicious villainous predators take advantage of the simplicity of the teenagers and lead them to take extreme steps which lead to their destruction and humiliation in the end.
A
lama Iqbal the great poet and philosopher has written a masterpiece to teach the young ones particularly how dangerous and venomous flattery can be. He has brilliantly tried to awaken the youth through his poem “A Spider and A Fly ” which we can find in his famous poetry collection “Bang e Dara”. He says once a villainous spider had the evil intention to haunt down a fly. He invited her to visit his home. The fly was witty and replied that she knew if she accepts the spider’s invitation it would bring disaster for her. She knew whoever climbs on the spider’s net there is hardly any chance of survival for him or her. The spider tried hard but the fly was not convinced to visit his house.
Then the spider used the most wicked tool to lure her. He knew that flattery is the most vicious strategy in this world. This cunning technique can be used even to trap the so-called wise and witty ones easily. Then the spider began to praise the fly’s beauty. He skillfully began to sing the sweet melodies in her praise. The fly’s heart was deeply touched and she declared readily that she will not fear the spider anymore. She thought that it was embarrassing to decline the spiders’ invitation. She surrendered herself before him and the predator was impatiently waiting for this chance to devour her. Thus instead of being wise and witty, she became the easy victim of flattery.
This is a symbolic poem particularly written for the teenagers to remain cautious and block every evil design of the flatterers wittingly. It teaches us to learn the worthy art of self-regard, self control, and self-restraint to save ourselves from the perils of flattery.
Author is a Govt Teacher. He can be mailed at bukhari.hilalahmad5@gmail.com
