Hypocrisy facts for kids

Hypocrisy is when someone pretends to be something they are not, or says they believe in something they don't truly believe. Imagine someone telling you to always be honest, but then they lie themselves. That's hypocrisy! The word first appeared around the year 1200, meaning "the sin of pretending to be good." Today, it often means telling others to act a certain way, but not following those rules yourself. It can also mean acting good or moral just to get praise, instead of doing it because you genuinely want to be good.

People have different ideas about what hypocrisy means. In the study of how people think about right and wrong, it's seen as failing to follow your own stated rules or beliefs. Some thinkers say hypocrisy can also be pretending to know things you don't, or claiming to be loyal when you're not. In politics, it can mean a leader consciously using a false image to trick the public and gain power.

Hypocrisy has been a topic in stories and wise sayings for a very long time. More recently, since the 1980s, it has also become important in studies about how people make decisions, how cultures affect behavior, and how our minds work.

What Does "Hypocrisy" Mean?

Where the Word Comes From

The word hypocrisy comes from the Greek word hypokrisis. This word meant "play-acting" or "acting out." The word hypocrite comes from hypokrites, which was the Greek word for a stage actor.

In ancient Greece, an hypokrites was someone who performed in plays. At first, this word was neutral. However, famous speakers like Demosthenes sometimes made fun of rivals who had been actors, calling them hypokrites to suggest they were untrustworthy. Over time, this idea of "play-acting" or pretending to be someone you're not led to the modern, negative meaning of hypocrisy.

Understanding Hypocrisy: Psychology

Psychologists have long been interested in why people act hypocritically.

Hidden Sides of Ourselves

The famous psychologist Carl Jung believed that hypocrisy often comes from not being aware of our own "shadow-side" – the parts of our personality we might not want to admit are there. He thought that if people could understand their own flaws better, they would be more understanding and respectful of others.

Choosing What's Easy

It's often much harder to truly be fair and honest than it is to just seem fair and honest. Because people sometimes look for the easiest path, they might choose to appear good rather than actually put in the effort to be good.

Tricking Ourselves

People are very good at finding reasons for what they want to do, even if those reasons aren't entirely true. This is called self-deception.

• When making decisions, people often look for information that supports what they already believe, rather than looking for all the facts. This is known as confirmation bias.
• They also tend to think very highly of themselves, focusing on their strengths and achievements while overlooking their weaknesses. Most people believe they are "above average" in many good qualities.

Not Knowing Ourselves

People are often quite good at noticing the flaws in others, but they tend to protect their own beliefs and avoid challenging them. We often judge others by their actions, but we think we have special insight into our own inner thoughts, which allows us to excuse our own selfish acts and maintain the idea that we are better than others.

Hypocrisy in Social Situations

Social psychologists study how people interact. They see hypocrisy as a type of inconsistency in what people say and do. People generally try to avoid being hypocritical because it creates an uncomfortable feeling called "dissonance" when their actions don't match their beliefs. For example, studies have shown that if you make people aware of their own hypocrisy regarding a certain behavior, they might be more likely to change that behavior.

Another idea is that people dislike hypocrisy because it suggests that hypocrites are sending a false message about how good they are morally.

Philosophical Questions About Hypocrisy

Philosophers also think about hypocrisy. They ask big questions like: Is hypocrisy always wrong? If so, what makes it wrong? Is it just a type of lying, or is there something uniquely bad about it? They also wonder if hypocrisy is sometimes necessary, especially in areas like politics.

One interesting debate is about whether a hypocrite has the "right to blame" someone else. If you do something wrong, and someone who does the same thing blames you, you might say, "You have no right to blame me!" Some philosophers argue that to fairly blame others, you must not be hypocritical yourself. Others disagree, saying that even a hypocrite can sometimes point out when someone else is doing something wrong.

Philosophers also try to define what hypocrisy truly is. Some say it's about deceiving yourself or others. Others focus on the conflict between a person's attitudes and actions. Many agree that a key part of hypocrisy is a lack of "moral seriousness" – not truly caring about the moral rules you claim to follow.

Are There Any Benefits to Hypocrisy?

While hypocrisy often has a bad reputation, some thinkers suggest there can be unexpected benefits, or at least reasons to be understanding about it.

For example, in political talks and diplomacy, leaders often start by making strong demands that they know they will eventually compromise on. This might seem hypocritical, but it's often a necessary part of finding a solution that works for everyone.

Some argue that if people were always required to perfectly live up to ideals like honesty and compassion, those ideals might not even exist. Being a good person is a struggle, and everyone makes mistakes. A peaceful society might depend on people who, even if they sometimes fail, still refuse to give up on the ideals they believe in.

See also

In Spanish: Hipocresía para niños