expression, godan verb (-su)
sweet words only please a fool; flattery works on puppets and fools
Proverb meaning that only a fool is pleased by flattery; a wise person sees through sweet talk.
甘言は偶人を喜ばすというから、彼の褒め言葉を真に受けてはいけない。
As the proverb goes, sweet words only please a fool, so don't take his flattery seriously.
A classical Japanese proverb. The exact origin is uncertain, but it uses the contrast between 甘言 (sweet words) and 偶人 (puppet, fool) to convey that flattery only deceives the naive.