Hypocrisy in the World: A Personal Perspective

Thank you for asking me to answer such an interesting question. Before I can answer, let me first clarify my thinking on the subject.

Hypocrisy Defined:

When I asked my husband to define what he believes constitutes a hypocrite, he said:

A hypocrite is someone who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, especially a person whose actions belie stated beliefs. A person who feigns some desirable or publicly approved attitude, especially one whose private life, opinions, or statements belie his or her public statements.

I then went to and copied their definition, which I have pasted below:

Hypocrite

hypo·crite [hi-puh-krit] -a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, especially a person whose actions belie stated beliefs. A person who feigns some desirable or publicly approved attitude, especially one whose private life, opinions, or statements belie his or her public statements.

The Question at Hand

After reading Doug Hilton’s answer, I asked my husband if he believed all people were somewhat hypocritical. Then I asked him what percentage of people living on this planet were hypocrites. The number he stated was 30, which shocked me. I was even more shocked when I heard others I spoke with believed the same.

Raised by a Hypocrite

My mother, who had been an ordained minister, seemed to the world to be an upstanding God-fearing woman. People’s opinions mattered to her, so she worked hard to maintain her facade. That’s why no one knew the monstrous things she did or that she was a pathological liar.

Everyone loved her and thought well of her. Few people knew of her past or the horrors she allowed to occur to members of my family. Having survived my mother’s lies and abuse, I assume one of the reasons I became obsessed with the idea of total honesty is that it’s much less taxing to simply be yourself... not lie... treat others well... and live a moral life. Basically, I am an open book and have little patience for anything involving affectation, lies, or pretense.

One Friend's Perception

One of my friends has called me a dishonest person, which is a term I fully understand and can relate to. However, I firmly believe in the sanctity of life and am technically not a Christian, but I love the article below as it expresses the reasons why love is the motivating force in my life.

What Does It Mean to Believe in the Sanctity of Life?

a life of hypocrisy is a choice some people make. Thankfully, there are more good people on this planet than bad. The only reason why people don’t read about them is because bad news sells more newspapers and gets higher ratings than good news.

I’ve been blessed to have met many other good people. We are people who care for the sick, feed the poor, and attend to the needs of others unable to care for themselves. We nurture and protect, not rape and abuse. There are more of us around than most people realize.

Conclusion: Not a Hypocrite

So, for the record, I am not a hypocrite, nor do I ever hope to be. I believe in the simple truth of living a moral life, treating others with kindness, and being honest with oneself and others.