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Being Friendly... Or "Sucking Up?"

Bernd Schwabe, Hannover, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31952754

How far are YOU willing to go to get what you want... from a boss, from a mate, from a friend? 

When you're trying to get something from a superior, by definition, you're working UP the chain of command.  Or, to be blunt, you're sucking up. 

And guess what title Deborah Parker and Matt Parker chose for their book on the practice?  Yep, Sucking Up: A Brief Consideration of Sycophancy

As you might guess from the title, there's plenty of humor in this perusal of yes-man, flatterers, boot-lickers, and more.  The authors join us for some prime examples. 

 

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Geoffrey Riley is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and has hosted the Jefferson Exchange on JPR since 2009. He's been a broadcaster in the Rogue Valley for more than 35 years, working in both television and radio.
April Ehrlich is an editor and reporter at Oregon Public Broadcasting. Prior to joining OPB, she was a news host and regional reporter at Jefferson Public Radio.