Flattery or Adulation

Friendliness or affability is a virtue which strives tomake things pleasant. But there are situations in which the effort of friendliness must fail of its object: that is, particular cases in which people cannot or will not be friendly. In such situations,flattery is likely to show itself. Flattery is a sort of lying, and has the evil of lying. It is the effort to please people by praising them for good qualities they do not possess, or approving their bad qualities which should be condemned. Flattery usually has the ulterior view of getting something from those who are subjected to it.

Unless flattery is praise of a person’s sin or is meant to draw him into sin, it is usually a venial, not a mortal sin.