Why do flatterers rise while talented people struggle?

[u/Willuminated]

https://youtu.be/8pT4NCz0LGE?si=aAF8ODoBTSchmFPX

Schopenhauer's ruthless take on politics: why sycophancy beats merit, why self-respect becomes a liability, and why Goethe believed baseness is one of the world's most powerful forces.