Sycophancy Is Not Patriotism – It’s a Survival Strategy

By Alexander Makuach, Aweil, South Sudan

Saturday, 7 June 2025 (PW) – The truth is a dangerous business in South Sudan today. It is easier and, more often than not, safer to praise than to question, to flatter than to challenge. There is applause everywhere for speeches that say nothing, and social media is replete with glowing sentiments for leaders whose actions frequently don’t live up to them. But underneath all of this flattery, something deeper is happening, something we never talk about. We haven’t turned into a country of sycophants because we love lies. We’ve done it because, for many people, flattery is the only way to survive.

If you have ever had a job in government, attended a public event or scrolled through Facebook after a politician’s visit, you have likely seen it. Leaders are welcomed as saviours, even when they come empty-handed. Praise is effusive, ongoing, and sometimes painfully hyperbolic. It’s not that people don’t see; it’s that telling the truth has become dangerous. A civil servant who criticises poor leadership may be out of a job. A young person who posts an honest comment on social media may be labelled ungrateful or even threatened. So, people adapt. They keep quiet. Or, worse, they applaud along, just to be safe.

Flattery is a form of currency. In a nation where opportunity is scarce and connections count more than competence, complimenting the right individual can open doors. In certain instances, it’s the sole means of being heard. It is not always false. Individuals are attempting to survive in a system that does not reward innovative ideas, but rather loyalty to authority. And if success depends on who you know, rather than what you do, then flattery becomes a part of the strategy.

There’s one other thing we have to talk about, however, and that is education. Not so much schooling, but education in the true sense. It is possible to attend school, pass examinations, even graduate, and still not have learnt anything. The reason for this is that education does not reside in textbooks. It’s the capacity to think, question, and call out wrong when you see it. That kind of education is rare in the current system that’s educating people to memorise and obey rather than analyse and speak out. So, it’s not always the illiterate that fuel sycophancy; degree holders, too, can be found in that same pit, clapping louder than the rest, just to fit in or get by.

And if anybody gets the courage to buck that trend when they speak truth to power, joke with power, or call a spade a spade, they are more likely than not to be considered not heroes. Instead, arrogant, jealous, or even haters. Take somebody like Ateny Wek Ateny. His speeches are full of wit, truth, and political provocation, yet people dismiss him as being “too opinionated” or that he’s only criticising others because he’s bitter.

Meanwhile, others who sugar-coat every statement are seen as respectable, patriotic, or “good people.” This is how we reverse the meaning of truth and loyalty. We punish those who try to wake us up, and reward those who help us sleep to growing issues. This behaviour isn’t just limited to politics. It’s found in offices, institutions, and even in casual social life. There is a growing fear of speaking hard truths, even when those truths could help us grow. Many of us now believe that being critical means you’re negative, arrogant, or against progress. But this mindset is dangerous.

When we allow flattery to replace honesty, we lose something vital: accountability. And when there is no accountability and honesty, we lose our integrity and don’t feel accountable for our actions, no matter how bad they are.

And what happens if all those around a leader only flatter them? Who reveals to them the loopholes, the broken promises, the sick people? When we choose silence out of fear or for personal gain, we abandon honesty and trade it for lies, but a nation cannot develop on lies. We must ask ourselves: Are we developing South Sudan or protecting ourselves?

This is not a personal attack on individuals. This is a challenge to each of us: leaders, youth, and citizens to look within ourselves. Sycophancy may be cosy today, but it makes us frail tomorrow. Patriotism is not applauding the loudest. It is loving one’s country enough to desire more, even if it requires speaking difficult truths. It is holding each other accountable, not because we despise, but because we care.

If we truly want a greater South Sudan, then we must make space for truth even when it is uncomfortable. We must build a culture where people can express themselves openly, and where leaders are cheered for performance, not title.

Sycophancy is not patriotism. It is a survival mechanism. But if we are to build a nation worth surviving in and thriving in, then we must find the courage to be honest. Not only when it is convenient, but also during the difficult moments.

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