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Even flattery must be justified… (about the appropriateness of compliments and congratulations)
Even flattery must be justified , otherwise it becomes absurd, as if everything around is a kingdom of distorting mirrors…
This is my conclusion after I recently attended a birthday party.
Having gathered together, people, as expected, began to honor the one in whose honor they had gathered, saying table toasts and all sorts of congratulations.
I have noted this phenomenon before (in different situations, with different people), but I kept forgetting to write about it… but this time the thought remained within reach, therefore… the material was still written.
So… having known the recipient of congratulations very well and for as long as possible, it was strange to hear how, in their wishes and compliments, people describe a person who does not exist in reality.
Maybe these people really believed what they said, or did not understand how strange their words sounded from the outside, but… they said … attributing qualities, properties, skills, behavior, attitude, etc. — which the birthday boy simply does not have and never had.
Maybe the one who accepted the congratulations did not hear any dissonance with reality in them, I don’t know, but I know for sure that…