Blau (1964, p. 63) discusses this issue
in connection to approval stating that:
“If others suspect that he furnishes approval merely to please them and not because it reflects his actual judgment of their behavior, his approval loses its significance”.
No esteem or other types of benefits will be returned in such cases of ingratiation (Berscheid & Walster, 1978).
Flattery and other types of fake approval may even be considered a cost to most individuals (Blau, 1964).