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I often seen the word "hypocrisy" thrown around to insult people or tarnish their credibility. I bet we've all been called hypocrites at one point or another. Whether or not it is warranted or not isn't important. Lately whenever I see this word thrown around, my first reaction is "who cares?"

To be a hypocrite is a key part of being human. If you're not a hypocrite, you're not human, for we are all hypocrites at one point or another (though some more often than others). Why is hypocricy such an integral part of human nature? Why do we so often preach what we do not practise ourselves? Why do you call ourselves things that our actions clearly state that we are not? And why is "hypocrite" thrown around as an insult when we are all clearly hypocrites?

I'm afraid it's human nature to think and act differently from what you say you should. There really isn't that much to be admired about the human condition.

The term hypocrisy has been overused in my opinion. It's true that humanity is rather contridictory in nature, but hypocrisy seems too strong to deal with that particular duality.

To me, hypocrisy seems more a term to describe a rather blatent behaviour. To say one thing and do another is not, in and of itself, hypocrisy as far as I'm concerned, because most of the time there isn't a whole lot of thought put into such actions. We, as people, don't often stop to think about what we're doing long enough to realize it my be hypocritical. I think hypocrisy is a deliberate act. I think hypocrisy is a concious decision to foster a double standard.

Having said that, I don't think hypocrisy is a "key part to being human." Being human is more a game of self preservation and promotion. It would be different if every hypocritical act was a concious decision, but you'll find that quite often it isn't. We may be predisposed to it, but it simply doesn't work given the society we live in.

Well said m'dear. 3nodding

I feel like there is another word for what you are describing here aside from hyporcricy but I can't quite put my finger on it at the moment. My first instinct is to call it some form of lying, rather than hypocrisy. By employing double standards you're both lying to yourself and to other people deliberately. It's also pretty manipulative and underhanded. What do you think?



True it is often harder to stare one's own flaws in the face. It has been said that those things one is the most critical of are the things one has themselves as flaws. There are several theorists in psychology that speak about this kind of projection of self-flaws onto other people, whether the person we project them onto actually has the flaws or not. I think there are those, though, who are just critical in general. Both critical of others and of themselves.

I believe it's moreover what isssues you stand firm on and what you chose to become a "hypocrite." Indeed we are all hypocrites but when our battles are poorly chosen and we go back on our word or our beliefs, it makes us harder to trust. You realise that within yourself too. Sometimes a person won't even comprehend the hypocrisy of a situation, but you will and it will further question what you actually THINK. If you don't back up your words with actions, what are your words worth?

So certainly everyone has been a hypocrite at one point or another, and it will always be unnerving for those who trust the hypocrite. But it's better if you become a hypocrite trying to rectify a situation than standing firm in a belief you know is wrong.

*For those of you who didn't notice, I must have contradicted myself 30 times in this one post. Either way, ytou get the jist of it. Hypocrite as I am.

I think some people just don't realize this and therefore call others a hypocrite even though they are themselves.

There's really not a way to win this one. As I said before, the only reason hypocrisy is BAD is becuase people lose trust in you when you don't stand by what you say, which is why people HATE POLITICIANS! But still it is better to lose trust by "monitering-and-adjusting" your actions when you realize you are wrong. While this leads to immense critism on the people who still believe your first promise, at least you are doing the right thing.

Everyone is a hypocrite at one point in time. However, the less the better. Don't make promises you can't keep and don't preach advice you don't follow yourself.



It's deception, my dear. And the influence of deception makes us even less trustworthy than the influence of hypocricy.

.. I just thought of somthing. If what you say that people are accidentally hypocrites, then that wouldn't make them hypocrites. From what I understand being a hypocrite is saying one thing and doing another. So their saying not to do somthing on purpose, yet they do the other thing on accident, so is it the same thing?

... I hope this is relevent