This phenomenon is a common, though often unsavory, social behaviour. It's often referred to colloquially as "kissing up, kicking down" or "bootlicking." From a psychological and sociological perspective, it can be explained by a combination of factors related to status, insecurity, and social dynamics.
Here's a breakdown of the phenomena:
1. The Motivation: Ingratiation and Status Seeking
•	Ingratiation: The primary goal of the person engaging in this behaviour is ingratiation, which is a psychological technique in which an individual attempts to become more attractive or likable to another person. They want to be seen favourably by the higher-status individual. 
•	Social Climbing/Advancement: They believe that by aligning themselves with the higher-status person, they can gain benefits such as acceptance, approval, protection, resources, opportunities, or even an increase in their own perceived status. 
2. The Mechanism: Downward Comparison and Derogation
•	Downward Social Comparison: Humans often engage in social comparison to evaluate themselves. Downward social comparison involves comparing oneself to others who are perceived as less fortunate, skilled, or in this case, lower status. This can boost one's own self-esteem, but in this phenomenon, it's used strategically. 
•	Derogation/Degradation: By actively putting down or demeaning someone of lower status, the perpetrator aims to achieve several things: 
•	Highlighting their own (perceived) superiority: They subtly or overtly imply, "I am not like that person; I am more like you, the higher-status person." 
•	Creating a shared bond: By attacking a common "out-group" (the lower-status person), they try to forge a sense of solidarity or shared superiority with the higher-status individual. It's an attempt to establish an "us vs. them" dynamic where the perpetrator and the higher-status person are "us." 
•	Distracting from their own flaws: By focusing attention on the perceived shortcomings of someone else, they might try to divert scrutiny away from their own weaknesses or insecurities. 
•	Reinforcing the hierarchy: They publicly demonstrate their acceptance of and adherence to the existing social hierarchy, hoping to be rewarded for it. 
3. The Underlying Psychology (Often Insecurity):
•	Ironically, this behaviour often stems from a place of insecurity in the perpetrator. They may not feel genuinely secure in their own standing or abilities, and therefore feel the need to leverage social manipulation to climb the ladder or gain acceptance. 
•	They might lack the confidence or genuine skills to impress the higher-status person on their own merits, resorting to tearing others down instead. 
4. The Target: The "Kicking Down" Aspect
•	The person targeted for degradation is often chosen because they are perceived as vulnerable, less likely to retaliate, or outside the immediate protection of the higher-status individual. 
•	They serve as a convenient "scapegoat" or a prop to facilitate the ingratiation attempt. 
In essence, the phenomenon is a calculated, albeit often transparent and ethically questionable, strategy of social advancement rooted in a desire for approval and status, typically driven by insecurity and executed through the disparagement of others.