Ad superbiam

A fallacy in which a person uses flattery, excessive compliments, in an attempt to appeal to their audience's vanity to win support for their side. The appeal to flattery is a specific kind of appeal to emotion.

Flattery is often used to hide the true intent of an idea or proposal. Praise offers a momentary personal distraction that can often weaken judgment. Moreover, it is usually a cunning form of appeal to consequences, since the audience is subject to be flattered as long as they comply with the flatterer.

Flattery is always nice to receive as it strokes a person's sense of identity. In doing so, it leads them to like you in exchange and want to repay you for your kindness. Agreeing to your request is an immediate way of doing this.

Flattery can include compliments on such as:

• Their looks
• Their actions
• Their beliefs or values
• Their intelligence, ideas and thinking
• Their creativity and aesthetic sense
• Their ability to argue
• The things they have produced

Some people are more susceptible to flattery than others, particularly those with a weaker self-image and who may be generally less confident.