Vice Versa

It may sound ironical that your BEST FRIENDS are your WORST enemies; and that your WORST enemies are your BEST FRIENDS!
Let me explain the irony. Your BEST friends will only tell you lies to make you happy. They will only say things that you want to hear; and you will be a fool to listen to all the niceties that they tell you. They flatter you like nobody's business. They will not utter the unpleasant things; and when TRUTH finally dawns , it may be too late to recover.
Take one example. If you are the leader of a political Party and could decide the candidature in an election, you will be praised sky high; and all the eager candidates will follow you wherever you go. They will squat neat your office the whole day and wait for you; and to have an audience with you. They are the YES-men ; and they will curry favour with you. Every word you say is the truth! They will say that you are the BEST leader the Party has ever had. They will say that you have leadership qualities; and you have the calibre to lead the Party to greater heights. BUT, if you drop them like hot potatoes in the candidates' list in the election, they will say that you are the worst leader on earth; and they have LOST confidence in your leadership! So, just imagine , one minute you are the guardian angel; and the next minute you are the devil!
Remember the occasion when the Datuk Seri Ahmad Badawi was in the political wilderness . Even the closest friends deserted him; and avoided him like a plague! Now they play gold with him! And what happened to the former Prime Minister? Even though he is an advisor to Proton, his advice is not even sought for ! So ,beware the YES-men.
Then there are your enemies . They are forever critical of you . Every idea of yours is no good. Of course, they give their reasons. Listen to their criticisms and their arguments. There may be some truths in what they say. take the good and reject the bad . Sieve the wheat from the chaff. They are the NO-men.
Take for example the Opposition parties. They may oppose some or all your ideas. Forget the NO-men who will oppose everything you say. Be on the look -out for the YES-NO men among them. These men will say NO on certain issues; and YES for others. They are your BEST friends. They tell the truth. Listen to them.
So in politics and in business and also in families, you will find the Yes-men, the No-men and the Yes-No men. Take your pick among the people.