I used to think that being agreeable was the way to go.
I was raised in a strict household, where I was taught to be respectful to my elders and always act with grace and humility.
This mindset helped me to get along with people and find some success in life, but it also caused me to become a bit of a bootlicker.
Whenever I was around someone who I perceived to be more successful than me, I would go out of my way to flatter them and agree with whatever they said.
I would treat them to meal and drinks, go out of my way to make them feel comfortable and even be at their service every time they call me.
I thought that this would make them like me, and maybe even give me some of their success. Little did I know, I was playing myself.
Sure, this strategy worked for a while. People seemed to like me, and I was able to get some recognition and a few good opportunities.
But then I started to realize that people were only using me for their own gain. No matter how much I brown-nosed them, they never seemed to care about me as a person.
It was almost like I was a tool to them, to be used and discarded when they were done with me.
It was disheartening to realize how much of a fool I had been. I had wasted so much time and energy trying to please people who didn’t care about me, and yet I was still no better off than before.
That’s when I started to understand that bootlicking wasn’t the way to go.
It might be a good way to make a few acquaintances, but if you want to build meaningful relationships and real success, you need to be genuine and honest.
You need to be true to yourself and make sure that the people you interact with know that you care about them.