Hypocritical Attitudes

The head of the IMF, Dominique Strauss-Kahn is accused of molesting a hotel employee. The former governer of California and the fearsome Terminator, Arnold Schwarzenegger admits to fathering an illegitimate child with a member of his staff. Singer Chris Brown is accused of assaulting fellow singer Rihanna. Charlie Sheen has a spectacular meltdown which is all over the news. Some members of the clergy in America are apparently unable to keep its pants zipped up. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is accused of frolicking with girls young enough to be his grand daughters. South Carolina Governer Mark Sanford flies off to Argentina to visit his mistress without informing his family or staff.

Are these people nuts? They seem to think they have a right to behave in any fashion they see fit. These people really seem to believe that normal rules of conduct, decency and morality do not apply to them. And then they have the cheek to lecture the rest of us on issues of morality! The examples given above are taken from developed countries. Developing countries have much more egregious examples of public figures behaving abominably privately while donning a public mantle of morality. For example, members of the Saudi royal family are famous for hijinks abroad while maintaining a puritanical state domestically. It is this mismatch between private behavior and public posture that outrages. These figures seem to consider the rest of the population no better than children who must be admonished about proper behavior. This is an insult to our intelligence. It is also rank hypocrisy.

Related articles

• Strauss-Kahn arrest: Even the French are dismayed (csmonitor.com)
• Schwarzenegger Marriage Terminated After Fathering Child With Household Staffer (chicagonow.com)

Hypocrisy Redux

Hypocrisy - everyone purports to hate it. Yet we all engage in it to some extent at some point(s) in our lives. This is a character trait which is almost always seen as a major flaw -- in others. We are always being hypocritical to the extent that we hide our true feelings and state of mind from others. In some cases, this can actually be positive. Small temporary acts of hypocrisy may well be necessary for the smooth flow of our relationships. The alternative is radical honesty which is fine in theory and may well work out in practice for a lot of people but it could lead to breakdown in relationships that may well not have occurred otherwise. The major problem with hypocrisy is not temporary acts of the same. The problem occurs when this mode of behavior becomes a permanent or a major facet of our personality. Hypocritical acts are acts of omission and lies. These can be big or small, but they add up over time and eventually result in a double life.

Hypocrisy comes in many forms and flavors. Perhaps most common is racial hypocrisy; condemning a particular people due to the perceived inferiority of their race based on specious physical characteristics while at the same time often secretly fraternizing with them. Another very common form of hypocrisy comes in loudly and volubly advocating the importance of family while at the same time pursuing actions that undermine family life. Public figures and people who achieve prominence seem to suffer from this disproportionately. Religion is another avenue where people pursue hypocritical actions. This typically comes in the form of insisting on others following the tenets of one's particular religious faith while not observing the same at the same time. For example, nearly every religion condemns financial corruption. Countless people do the same on religious grounds while at the same time being financially corrupt. Needless to say, such actions give ammunition to opponents of religion. Yet another form of hypocrisy comes when we demand greater morality from prominent figures than what we ourselves practice.

Does it matter even if various form(s) of hypocrisy are widespread in a society? Generally speaking the answer is yes it matters but in come cases, the answer can be an equivocal depends. Some forms of behavior are best not publicized. Sexual promiscuity is a prime example of this. If I think that people in my society are not sexually adventurous and this is also generally condemned, then that will act as an impediment on behavior that is considered unacceptable. If however I feel that others are also doing the same kinds of action, then I will be more brazen in my behavior. On the other hand, hypocritical behavior on crime, specially financial crime, is a bad idea as the negative impact of such actions affects a far larger number of people.

Hypocrisy that affects the smooth functioning of larger society needs to be condemned in no uncertain terms. Hypocrisy that affects an individual also needs to be condemned but in a counseling manner; the primary aim being to reform the individual's behavior.

Related articles

• Honesty and Hypocrisy (abdulmuneer.wordpress.com)
• Hypocrites, please stand up (saladinasteakhouse.wordpress.com)
• How does one define hypocrisy? (mojoey.blogspot.com)
• Hypocrisy in Indian Society (guptasudhir.wordpress.com)
• You too: Seven rules for honest hypocrisy management (psychologytoday.com)
• The origins of the specious: How hypocrisy happens (psychologytoday.com)

Hypocrisy

Image by mikebaird via Flickr

What is hypocricy and how do we as individuals and as a society define it? Do we have separate standards of behavior in our personal and public lives? Do we not as a society exercise hypocrisy when we demand a higher standard of conduct from public personalities than what we ourselves are willing to exercise?

Interesting questions all. This is an issue of import to discuss. Later.

Incidentally, incase you are wondering what is the relevance of the picture to the topic at hand; there is none. I just happened to like the picture and decided to put it in.