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Articles

Why Do People Hate Hypocrisy?

Emrys Westacott argues that it’s not usually the hypocrisy itself that we hate.

Hypocrisy has always had a bad press, going back at least to biblical times. But why? The near unanimous and often quite vehement condemnation of hypocrisy is rather surprising when one considers, first, that to a greater or lesser degree we are all hypocrites, and second, that it’s a relatively harmless failing. Unlike vices such as cruelty, treachery, or unkindness, hypocrisy doesn’t have an obvious victim. A man who preaches non-violence and beats up his wife is certainly a hypocrite; but the woman is injured by his fists, not by his hypocrisy.

As with any question, it helps to clarify the meaning of the relevant terms.

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