"He that loves to be flattered is worthy o' the flatterer"

Those who crave flattery open themselves to manipulation and deceit, becoming as unworthy as those who dispense insincere praise. Shakespeare warns that a person’s desire to be adored, praised, or affirmed, beyond genuine merits, invites falseness into their life. The relationship between the flatterer and the one who loves to be flattered is reciprocal: the flatterer seeks an audience vulnerable to empty words, while the one who enjoys being flattered welcomes and even rewards dishonesty. This dynamic forms a kind of corrupt partnership, each side reinforcing the other’s faults.

The words suggest a sting of moral judgment. Sincere compliments recognize genuine accomplishments, while flattery exaggerates, distorts, or fabricates virtues to please or manipulate. Someone who relishes such attention may do so out of vanity, insecurity, or a hunger for approval. But by accepting or seeking out flattery, that person becomes complicit in undermining truth and sincerity. They invite the flatterer to deceive them, to inflate their sense of self, and perhaps to divert them from honest self-assessment or improvement. In this light, the one who adores flattery does not merely suffer the liar but deserves him, for both are engaged in a dance of self-interest, deception, and self-deception.

Shakespeare’s observation operates not only on a personal level but as a caution to anyone in power, rulers, leaders, or those in positions of authority. When leaders surround themselves with flatterers, neglecting honest counselors, they disconnect from reality. Their decisions suffer, and they may become tyrannical, arrogant, or foolish, believing in their own exaggerated image. The ethically upright should seek truth, even when it is uncomfortable, and cherish honesty over hollow praise. Those who thirst for flattery find themselves unworthy, not simply because they are deceived, but because they cultivate and reward deception, making them equally blameworthy as the deceiver.