Let me think about this in manga terms.
For example, imagine this phenomenon as something like a “binding vow” in *Jujutsu Kaisen*, or a “restriction and vow” in *Hunter × Hunter*.
Right now, it’s like you have a buff with no apparent cost or basis. If you look at it that way, I feel like something bad is bound to happen as a backlash.
So, manga-brain-wise, I think it’s probably safer not to take advantage of that buff.
Putting yourself down by saying you’re only worth this much is selfish too.
If you had the same item and one person offered 100 yen while another offered 10,000 yen, wouldn’t you sell it to the person offering 10,000 yen?
To respond honestly, I think you should ask why they’re willing to pay 10,000 yen and clear up any misunderstandings. If, after that, they still believe you’re worth 10,000 yen, then you should sell it for 10,000 yen.
You seem to vaguely feel that the company president is putting you on a pedestal, but you haven’t clarified why the president likes you—whether it’s your abilities, your charm, how well you communicate with the other employees, or simply the president’s personal preference.
You’re vaguely putting yourself down while going along with something you don’t really understand, or perhaps with a misunderstanding on the president’s part. That doesn’t seem like an honest response. Aren’t you just putting yourself down because it makes you feel good?
I used to find it creepy, but these days I’m less creeped out and more pleased—I think, “Oh, another sucker has arrived.”
I used to want to be properly appreciated by other people. I wanted to compete head-on and be judged fairly. But basically, there’s no way other people can truly understand me. They only ever see part of me; the only person who knows all of me is me. Once I realized that, I decided other people’s opinions were worthless. They have no real meaning. No matter what someone says, I can just think, “You don’t get it.” Of course, I’ll take outside perspectives into consideration—but I get to decide which parts are worth considering.
Still, people act according to how they’re evaluated. So naturally, it’s better to be viewed positively. If someone’s expectations get unrealistically high, that can be dangerous, but I can always correct them when necessary. And when someone with a good reputation says, “Oh, no, I’m really not that great,” people think, “How humble,” and like them even more. It’s all upside, isn’t it?
Fighting an away game in the middle of a storm of boos is far more exhausting. Your whole team is falling apart, you’ve been branded a complete failure, and every tiny mistake gets a “Here we go again.” You’re pushed into a position where everyone dismisses you as useless, even though you have genuine strengths. Even when you get a good result, people write it off as luck instead of ability, and someone else takes the credit. In that kind of situation, the only way to change the momentum is to hit a massive home run that nobody can deny—and that’s impossible under normal circumstances, right?
But if you keep going even while being worn down mentally and in every other way, eventually you’ll find a chance to hit that comeback home run. The moment the people who were booing fall silent, the moment you can feel everyone on the other side holding their breath as the momentum shifts—it’s exhilarating, isn’t it? If you ask me which is more fun, there’s no doubt it’s this one. (笑)
So, people who hype me up without even knowing why are suckers. If that sounds too harsh, let’s call them “an oasis in the desert.” Thank you for giving me time when I can win without even trying my hardest. I love predictable outcomes! I love meaningless games♫ Thanks to you for hyping me up, I can recover plenty, save my strength for the next away game, and hit another huge comeback home run. Yay, papa! Another home run tomorrow! (As Yoshinoya says.) I’m nothing but grateful.
Taro
I feel uncomfortable and even a little grossed out when someone flatters me.
Adding this after reading Taro’s answer:
> I used to find it gross, but these days I don’t exactly enjoy it—I just think, “Looks like another easy mark has shown up.”
> I used to want other people to genuinely appreciate me.
In my case, though, that’s not why I find it gross. What bothers me is the shallowness and ulterior motives of people who resort to the easy tactic of flattering someone.
People who approach you with their ulterior motives showing are creepy, aren’t they?
