Flattery and the Inner Eye

Neville's Inner Vision

Verse 17:5 speaks in the language of the inner man. Flattery is not mere politeness; it is a state of consciousness that seeks to please the outer opinion, a habitual masking of truth. When you "speak flattery to his friends" you are rehearsing a self-concept that craves praise rather than clarity. The line about the eyes of his children failing is not about literal eyes—it is the inner sight of those who depend on you dissolving because you have yoked your words to a counterfeit self. In Neville's terms, your world is a record of your I AM felt as belief. If you fill speech with flattering appearances, you project a distant, uncertain self and invite doubt to stand in your home. The reform is to align speech with the truth of your divine I AM: assume you are the one who speaks from truth, refuse flattery as a tool of manipulation, and revise all spoken promises until they carry the weight of fidelity. Your inner state reimages your outer relationships, and trust returns as clear light in the eyes of those you love.