Are you a hypocrite?

[Justin D.]

Some recent threads on here and events offline inspired me to create this thread. Actually, I’ve meant to make the part of this thread dealing with comics for a long time now. Throughout our day, it’s not uncommon to hear someone voice two supposedly opposing ideas. Sometimes, this comes across as more of a display of diversity of thought than hypocrisy, but can often be an outright display of hypocritical behavior. To use a possibly badly worded metaphor, I’m sure I’ve told someone they shouldn’t have some pie because it’s bad for them while I’m digging into my second slice.

I’m a hypocritical driver. I’ll yell at someone for passing me on the right so I can’t get over and can do practically the same thing moments later.

I’m a hypocrite when it comes to my paycheck. I understand taxes pay for programs I’m in favor of, but hate that so much in taxes is deducted from my check. (not as much as it used to be since I live in Texas now and the tax rate is lower here)

I’m a hypocritical lover. I tell my girlfriend to not worry about me so much and concentrate on making herself happy, but I put a lot of effort into pleasing her. What can I say, it’s a fault of mine I’ll just have to live with and accept.

I wonder if this extends to the comics I read. Is it hypocritical to read and root for a hero who doesn’t hold the same values as I do? Can you be against the death penalty and still enjoy Punisher without being a hypocrite?

Are you a hypocrite or diverse? If you are a hypocrite in some areas, would you call that a bad thing? What areas? Why?

[dingo]

Being a hypocrite is something I will never allow myself to be.

I saw a lot of them in my church and I hated it. If ever I notice I am being hypocritical or am told that I am, I will not just make an effort to change, I will change.

[Calybos]

I'm definitely a hypocrite.

I admire vegetarianism, but I eat meat. I oppose animal cruelty, sweatshops, and the like, yet I make no effort to find out where and how my consumer products were made.

I claim to be an environmentalist, but I live alone, drive alone, and make few efforts to recycle or lobby for conservation.

I support pacifism, but I'm too weak and cowardly to practice it myself.

I condemn arrogance and judgmental attitudes in others, but am frequently guilty of it myself.

I despise consumerism, but I buy comic books, videos, and books like there's no freakin' tomorrow.

I claim to prefer smart and sophisticated humor, but I liked the Inferior Five.

The list goes on and on.

[BoosterBronze]

I avoid being a hypocryte not by being great, but by merely avoiding being judgemnetal.

I'm self obsessesed and mildly racists, but I don't put those traits down in others, so I figure it's not hypocrytical of me.

[Dreadstar]

Enh, I'm a situational hypocrite, I admit it. I try to be more consistent in my logic, but I'm human, I fail. More often than not, the turnabout is mood driven. I'm hopeful that I'm consistent on the important things.

[howyadoin]

I’m a hypocritical lover. I tell my girlfriend to not worry about me so much and concentrate on making herself happy, but I put a lot of effort into pleasing her. What can I say, it’s a fault of mine I’ll just have to live with and accept.

That's not hypocritical. That's just being a straight male.

[Justin D.]

That's not hypocritical. That's just being a straight male.

Are you sure you read it right? Or did my joke fall completely flat?

By the way, I’m more interested in how our morals/ethics/whatever guide us in our reading and if we are hypocritical if we enjoy reading about characters whose morals/ethics/whatever may differ greatly from our own.

[Winslow]

You need to define hypocrite. Falling short of ideal standards is something we all do, so I don't believe that to be hypocritical.

I think a hypocrite is someone that demands others follow a standard, but he or she violates the standard.

(passing on the right after cussing out someone for passing on the right would be a decent example).

As a parent, it's pretty tough not to be hypocritical, since I'm enforcing behaviour standards all the time. But now that my kids are older, they occasionally "call me" on it - and I'm actually thankful for that.

[Michael P]

I’m a hypocritical lover. I tell my girlfriend to not worry about me so much and concentrate on making herself happy, but I put a lot of effort into pleasing her. What can I say, it’s a fault of mine I’ll just have to live with and accept.

That doesn't sound like hypocrisy so much as a consistent belief that her happiness is paramount.

In other words, you're not a hypocrite. You're whipped.

[Tadhg]

Most assuredly.

It goes part and parcel with believing in an absolute morality and being a fallible human being.

[Sanagi]

I certainly try to avoid hypocrisy in the big issues, but when it comes to little things, I'm sure I fail now and then. It's an inevitable result of being a creature with a small model of the universe constructed in your head.

[Justin D.]

You need to define hypocrite.

Giving definitions in posts is supererogatory.

[Gilda Dent]

I think a hypocrite is someone that demands others follow a standard, but he or she violates the standard.

I think that's a pretty good operational definition.

As a parent, it's pretty tough not to be hypocritical, since I'm enforcing behaviour standards all the time. But now that my kids are older, they occasionally "call me" on it - and I'm actually thankful for that.

I'm not sure that's really hypocrisy, either. Both parties need to be subject to the standard, and that isn't always the case. There are many behaviors that are perfectly appropriate for adults that are not for children. Mature/adult content in media would be one example of this.

I ran into this often when teaching middle school, with students insisting that teachers not having to adhere to the same rules as students was "unfair", which is a teenage catchall word for any rule or treatment that they dislike, which in this case is roughly equivilent.

Most things, sure the same standard applies. If I insist on polite behavior, teating others with respect, being to class on time, getting work done, I'm going to reflect that in my own behavior to the best of my ability. Other behaviors are clearly not equivilent from one to the other. I get to wander around and look at student work in progress any time I feel like it, but students doing the same would be subject to reprimand.

I more often than not fail to live up to the standards I set for myself, but I don't think of that as hypocrisy so much as ordinary human failing.

I do on occasion get caught up in the moment and will do things that violate my own standards of behavior, so in that way I suppose I'm going to be demonstrating some hypocrisy. I think the key isn't never doing that, it's recognizing when you do and being willing to adjust your behavior or your standards as necessary.

The problem with that is that it can be seen as hypocrisy in itself, due to the apparently situational changes in behavior.

I generally try to avoid applying my standards to others except on a "do no harm" basis, but again don't always succeed.

GILDA

[Sanagi]

Giving definitions in posts is supererogatory.

Fabulous.

[Spackling Compound]

As a parent, it's pretty tough not to be hypocritical, since I'm enforcing behaviour standards all the time. But now that my kids are older, they occasionally "call me" on it - and I'm actually thankful for that.

Tough call there.

I am in my forties and called out the cops on a group of teens fighting one night. A friend chided me and said, "Dude, you used to fight and now you're a hypocrite by calling the cops."
I replied, "When I was a teen, some forty year old man called the police on me. Karma."

So, age gives wisdom and prudence that we can pass on to our kids. We don't have to let them touch the flame to learn it's hot. We can tell them it's hot because we, as foolish children, put our hands in the flame.