Sycophancy and Social Rot: How the Suck-Up Era Is Hollowing Out Our Communities

Let’s give credit where credit’s due. I was tipped off to this insight-stuffed piece in New York Magazine thanks to a recent note in my inbox from Robert Reich. (Say what you want about the man’s politics—he’s got a nose for social rot.)

In the article, Washington Correspondent Ben Terris captures a new normal in D.C.:

“Lobbying used to be Congress-focused, but they’re not driving the show anymore. They’re all now taking orders from the administration.”

Welcome to the Age of Competitive Sycophancy​
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Enter: Theda Skocpol, a Harvard sociologist who coined the phrase “competitive sycophancy”—which is a fancy way of saying people fighting to see who can suck up the hardest. Think of it like the carnival contest game where you're spraying water at a target inside a clown's mouth and it overfills a balloon with hot air. It pops. And there's your winner. The most volume and best aim (supposedly) wins. Now imagine the balloon is a so-called leader's ego. 

Real-life Analogy: A boss walks into the breakroom and says, “I’m thinking about replacing all chairs with exercise balls.” A normal, functioning team would offer pros and cons. But a team infected with competitive sycophancy?

- “Brilliant, sir.”
- “My core’s already tightening just thinking about it.”
- “Honestly, I’ve always hated chairs.”

From D.C. to Your Daily Life
This isn’t just a Trump problem. It’s a human pattern. Trump’s just the full-volume, gold-plated, Vegas residency version of it.

What Happens to Communities When Sycophancy is Normalized?
Sycophancy alters the norms of how we behave in community. And community isn’t just your zip code. It’s your startup, your friend group, your volunteer org, your social media following. Once a group tips toward flattery, honest feedback dies. Once honest feedback dies, so does progress.

Learn to Spot It: Life Literacy means recognizing when the system around you is rewarding obedience over intelligence.

Bonus: Boston American Analogies for spotting Sycophants:
- If it feels like you're watching people play Simon Says... except no one is saying "Simon Says" - they're probably sycophants.
- If your coworker high-fives the CEO for finding the extra cups for the water cooler, they're a sycophant. 
- In a sitcom when the assistant says “great idea, boss” after the boss suggests team rock climbing—without ropes. They're a sycophant.
  
Final Thought: The louder the applause, the more you should ask who’s holding the mic. Especially if the only people clapping are the ones paid to be there.

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LERN Module: “Sycophancy and Social Rot”
Designed for:
- Teachers (middle school to college)
- Parents and guardians
- Homeschool curriculum builders
- Youth group facilitators
- Media literacy and civics programs
- After-school clubs or enrichment programs

Suggested Learning Objectives:
- Understand the terms "sycophant", "sycophancy", and "social rot" in both academic and cultural contexts
- Analyze how power dynamics shape group behavior across politics, work, school, and community life
- Recognize the psychological and sociological roots of flattery-based leadership
- Build critical thinking muscles by asking: “Who benefits when we stay silent?”

Creative Teaching Ideas: 
1. Group creation of clear, side-by-side definitions: Webster vs. Classroom agreed upon definitions. 
(sycophant, sycophancy, social rot, obsequiously)

2. Case Study Discussion: “Competitive Sycophancy in D.C.”
An annotated excerpt from the New York Magazine article by Ben Terris, with guiding questions like:
- What happens when leaders only surround themselves with flatterers?
- Can this happen in your own school, team, or workplace? Examples?

3. Discussion Prompts
Age-adjusted questions for:
- Middle school (e.g., “Why do people sometimes agree with a group even when they don’t want to?”)
- High school / College (e.g., “Where do we see sycophancy in pop culture, politics, or our communities?”)
- Adults/Facilitators (e.g., “When does praise become manipulation?”)

4. Roleplay Scenarios
Simple scripts or improv scenes to help lerners practice:
- Speaking up when everyone else is “yes-ing”
- Identifying groupthink in peer dynamics
- Reflecting on what kind of community they want to be part of

5. Creative Assignments
- Write your own “Boston American” style glossary entry for a political or pop culture term
- Create a cartoon, meme, or one-act play about sycophancy gone wrong
- Interview a parent or elder about when they witnessed “social rot” in a workplace or institution

6. Educator’s Notes + Adaptations
- Introduce serious topics with humor
- Balance ideological neutrality with moral clarity
- Encourage curiosity over cynicism

Teaching Philosophy Behind this LERN Module:
We believe real civic and emotional intelligence starts with language. When students and communities can name the behavior, they can challenge it and learn from it.

These LERN life literacy modules are not just about politics—they're about building braver, smarter communities at every level—and for all walks of life.

LERN Resources and Further Reading...

Glossary of Life Literacy: “Sycophant”
Webster:
A person who acts obsequiously toward someone important in order to gain advantage.
Boston American Translation:
A spineless suck-up. The kind of person who breaks a sweat clapping at a joke that wasn’t funny—just because the boss told it.
Obsequiously:
A word that means way too eager to please someone in power, often with an energy that says “I’ll shine your shoes with my face if it gets me promoted.”

Glossary Add-On: “Sycophancy”
Webster:
Obsequious behavior toward someone important in order to gain advantage.
Boston American Translation:
The art of sucking up like it’s an Olympic event. When flattery becomes a survival skill, and the loudest applause comes from the people paid to clap.

Glossary Add-On: “Social Rot”
Webster:
The decline of societal values and institutions due to systemic corruption or moral decay.
Boston American Translation:
It’s what happens when people stop calling out BS because the BS has become normal. When cheating, lying, or sucking up becomes just “how things work.”

Want to get even sharper at spotting groupthink? Check out these super smart people:
- Theda Skocpol, Harvard
- Robert Reich
- Robert Jay Lifton
- “Escape from Freedom”, Erich Fromm
- Adam Grant

​Final, Final Thought: Life Literacy...Teach it. Share it. Use it to fireproof your community, your team, and your own damn brain.

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