Flattery—Is it Wrong?

Agreed to a point, in that I feel many people are subjected to flattery unknowingly. "Because your worth it," go some commercial ads, whether other business tactics flatter your figure, intelligence, value, etc. The same with politicians who use flattery on the masses of voters.

With me, I get wary of those who ladle out compliments and over-the-top niceness to others to gain their support and become more powerful in terms of influence. I have an aunt like that, and she's ALWAYS ingratiating herself with people, and has to always be the life of the party. Too bad only her close relatives (like me) see the snake she really is behind closed doors.