Hypocrisy, is it avoidable?

[Captain Zechs]

So, in our daily lives, I think everyone has been a hypocrite before, there is simple no avoiding it. So why on Earth do people say "I hate hypocrites?"

I ask this due to a conversation at lunch I had with some friends, this girl said she couldn't stand hypocrites, yet she isn't one to talk herself!

So I guess the question is, have you ever been a hypocrite? And also, do you think that there is a completely 100% way of avoiding it? I personally think the term is silly because I think everyone is a hypocrite in one way or another.

But yeah. Stories are cool.

1 time I was a hypocrite...

Well, where I used to work was a Fast Food place, and I would always say I hated when customers were really rude, or something like that, however sometimes when I go and get Fast Food, if it has been a bad day I can be rude and/or a jerk.

So yeah.

Discuss.

[J'onn J'onzz]

People try to avoid being hypocrites. Or at least I know I do. Yeah, sometimes it happens, but when it does, you can just try to work to make yourself be less hypocritical.

A type of hypocrite I seem to notice a lot:

The person claims to hate people then goes then has relationships with them. I don't understand. You can say you dislike most people, but when you claim to dislike the human race, it takes credibility away from the fact that you're dating humans.

[Zeonic Freak]

I know i have in the past, but i have been trying my best to live my life by what i say/ represent myself.

To me, thats the only real way to live, to be truthful to not only others, but yourself...

[SirLemming]

I think a true hypocrite -- at least, practically speaking, if indeed we are all a little hypocritical -- is someone who thinks that his rules for everyone else don't apply to him, as opposed to someone who simply doesn't live up to his own rules.

I'll try to make the distinction with a hypothetical: someone says that everyone should exercise every day in order to stay healthy. That same someone doesn't exercise every day. Is he a hypocrite? Maybe. I think he would only truly be a hypocrite if he chastised other people for not exercising every day. But if he fully acknowledged that it's a difficult thing to do and that even he doesn't do it sometimes, I don't think that's hypocrisy. If that were hypocrisy, no one would be entitled to give advice about anything.

Ultimately, it seems to me that hypocrisy is the true opposite of humility, or at least, it really runs counter to it. Someone who acts like they're right about everything is pretty much guaranteed to be a hypocrite.

[Roman Legion]

A type of hypocrite I seem to notice a lot:

The person claims to hate people then goes then has relationships with them. I don't understand. You can say you dislike most people, but when you claim to dislike the human race, it takes credibility away from the fact that you're dating humans.Or, perhaps you may just not understand their take on the world. Let's say people suck. As much as one might like to question the fact, we're all supposedly people; that includes the person hating humanity. Realizing this, one might as well suck it up and get on with life.

That, of course, is just one way to see things. One could hold similar views and still be hypocritical, but the position itself isn't necessarily one of hypocrisy.

--Romey

[tb4000]

When you complain about someone not doing something, usually it's just to draw attention away from your not doing it yourself.

[Classic Speedy]

I've found the main thing is just to avoid judging people. Because as soon as you start doing that, the other party feels jumped on (rightfully so) and tries to turn it around and accuse you of the very thing that you're judging them for. And if they find you guilty of what you preached against, you have a mess.

I agree with SirLemming- just slipping and making mistakes isn't hypocrisy. We're all human. Hypocrisy more comes from the "high and mighty" route.

Examples of hypocrisy:
"Porn is evil." And then you go and look at porn.
"You slacker! Get the assignment done!" And then you go and procrastinate yourself.
"Have fun burning in Hell you sinner." And then you barely follow the religion you're supposedly a part of yourself.
"People need to be nicer to each other; it's the jerks that are ruining this country." And then you go and act like a jerk to a clerk.
"How could you even think of cheating on a test?" And then do just that.

[tb4000]

Parenthood is one big hypocrisy in itself...do as I say, not as I do. When I have kids, of course I will tell them not to do things, knowing full well I did some of them myself, and enjoyed doing so.

[Storm Eagle]

Parenthood is one big hypocrisy in itself...do as I say, not as I do. When I have kids, of course I will tell them not to do things, knowing full well I did some of them myself, and enjoyed doing so.

Well you didn't know better at the time. So you'll just be trying to help them out. You don't even have to be a parent to be in that situation.

[Harvey Two Face]

Hypocrisy is virtually unavoidable, we've all done or said something to contradict what we do or say in the future, but we do our best to aviod it at times.

[Storm Eagle]

While we're on the subject of hypocrisy, I'd like to discuss a situation I was in once.

I've met people online in person. I even flew to almost the other side of the country to do it. Not once, but twice. However, I was reluctant to let two people into my apartment so they can use my fire escape to get into their apartment, since they got locked out. Keep in mind that I don't know those people, I've never seen what they look like, plus I've only been living there for a month at the time. Could there be a hypocritical double standard in this?