In these times of political turmoil , aggressive online discourse, post truth society and lord knows what else, one thing is hard to deny: there’s a lot of hypocrisy flying around. People regularly and angrily lambast others for doing something, while doing pretty much the exact same thing themselves.
So,Let us first understand what hypocrisy exactly is .
Google gives a diplomatic answer of ‘the practice of claiming to have higher standards or more noble beliefs than is the case’, it has been portrayed in a really complicated way.
It can be simplified to “hypocrisy = beliefs-actions” ,which is is where If Beliefs = Actions, then Hypocrisy = Zero
Or
If (Beliefs = X) and also (Actions = X), then Beliefs – Actions = 0.
Nowadays hypocrisy is so evident that prominent personalities who are effective in moving people to ,not or to do things , do quite the opposite of what they preach. Like,FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT Al Gore urges us all to reduce our carbon footprint, yet he regularly flies in a private jet. Former drug czar William Bennett extols the importance of temperance but is reported to be a habitual gambler. Pastor Ted Haggard preached the virtues of “the clean life” until allegations of methamphetamine use and a taste for male prostitutes arose. Eliot Spitzer prosecuted prostitution rings as attorney general in New York State, but he was later found to be a regular client of one such ring.
These notorious accusations against public figures all involve hypocrisy, in which an individual fails to live according to the preachings he or she imposes on others. Charges of hypocrisy are common in debates because they are highly effective: we feel compelled to reject the views of hypocrites. But although we see hypocrisy as a vice and a symptom of incompetence or insincerity, we should be exceedingly careful about letting our emotions color our judgments of substantive issues.
Similarly, people are far quicker to notice and call out hypocrisy when it goes against their own beliefs. A politician you oppose promotes family values but is caught having an affair? Hypocrite! Drum them out of office! But if it’s a politician you support? Gutter journalism! So he’s not perfect, give him another chance! There are more important issues to worry about etc.
Hence ,hypocrisy differs from situation to situation which can really not be specifically classified into types. Basically, people aren’t 100% rational or consistent. Value judgments are typically subjective than objective so the extent and seriousness of the hypocrisy is often in the eye of the beholder. This feeds into hypocrisy in other ways too.
We may be,no we are …each one of us IS a hypocrite in our own personal situation.
Thus,a question arises , is being a hypocrite to some specific things wrong?
Well if publicly opinionated, the answer would be NO.
But that is ,if we keep an open mind to others beliefs too.
Thus, hypocrisy is sometimes sufficient to undermine a person’s authority. It can warrant the thought, “Why pay attention to what he says?”
Well in today’s present world circumstances , hypocrites exist or actually are prevalent in every field of humanity,be it religious,political or even the instances of daily life. Considering world peace ,’hypocrisy’ is a harmful disease which is slowly devouring the understanding to live and thrive in the society,which being, the very fabric of human cultures and civilizations that caused the transition from the stone age to industrial revolution.
So now how should one develop a belief system?
One should do their best to objectively perceive Reality for what it is.
One should do their best to objectively perceive Truth for what it is.
One should do their best to objectively perceive Morality for what it is.
I now leave with the following following deep thought:
It is best not to be hypocritical, but I would rather be an honest hypocrite than a person who tries to make truth conform around his or her own desires and imperfections.
So what are your views about hypocrisy?
Blurt it out 
Hypocrisy is an extremely difficult characteristic to understand, not only within another person but also within our own minds. It is a frustrating attribute to deal with , because most of us fundamentally believe that people should practice what they preach, including ourselves. (An avid environmentalist shouldn’t litter. If your father smokes a pack a day, he doesn’t have the right to tell you not to have a cigarette.) This is true because those people’s beliefs directly contradict their actions. However, I believe there’s a huge difference between being a hypocrite and changing your mind.
We have all been in situations where we feel the need to defend our own beliefs. We’ve all had debates about our personal opinions (maybe I have a tad more often than some of you). Have any of us ever stopped to think about the point of it all? I stand my ground and explain my opinions because I believe in them, and I have an internal end goal of changing that person’s mind. If we want to shift people’s views by explaining our beliefs, then we can’t shame them for having that change of heart. Yet, we sometimes have a tendency to call people out when they act in a way that opposes a previous opinion.
In fact, it does a lot of harm to accuse people of hypocrisy when their behavior and beliefs change. If we put that negative label on people who make a life change, we’re in turn sending them the message that having an open mind is wrong. Would you tell a member of ISIS who put down his or her gun and released prisoners that they’re being hypocritical? Of course not. So why should it be OK to tell a woman who once advocated for abstinence that she’s a hypocrite after she finds sexual liberation and practices freedom of choice when it comes to her personal life decisions?
It’s often hard for me to admit that I’m wrong and to give way to another person’s beliefs that had once challenged mine. I think this is a problem within a lot of people that have strong opinions. A big part of why we’re hesitant to accept opposing views is fear of judgment. That whole “I told you so” attitude that a lot of people adopt after winning an argument is detrimental to creating a more loving and sympathetic community. Making someone feel bad for accepting another person’s ideals is going to create the opposite of a tolerant society.✔
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True! Agreed! These are indeed things to ponder upon!👍
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It is an omni-present act found in the society today, and it might be needed for specific situations, but people need to put it to use efficiently.
The article was very well written! 🙏🙌
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Agreed. Hypocrisy at its efficiency makes a difference than its negligence.💭
Thank you☝️️
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