[Bill,
March 11, 2008]
More on hypocrisy
Roger Kimball weighs in on hypocrisy.
Hypocrisy is one word that really demonstrates the cultural divide. For those conservatively inclined, hypocrisy is "the tribute vice pays to virtue," and a sign of fallen man failing to live up to his aspirations. For those of a liberal bent, hypocrisy is among the greatest of sins, and most often a charge thrown at conservatives and other public moralizers.
What I find ironic is that liberals say conservatives are hypocrites, and conservatives largely agree.
The fundamental question is: What do we do about man's inability to live up to his highest aspirations. For some, the answer is to continue to try and be charitable about those who fail. For others, the answer is to define those aspirations down so that values and behavior meet.
BTW, I do think the definition of hypocrisy is often misused. A true hypocrite, as one commenter in the link above, is really a "rules are for other people" type of person. They believe in a morality that they have no intention of personally meeting. No, that's wrong. Hypocrisy doesn't refer as much to intention as belief. You publicly state a morality that you don't really believe in. You don't think it applies to you. And there's also an element that you are publicly benefiting from your stand, while privately benefitting from the broken value.
I wish this had been more clear. Maybe I'll take a rewrite later.
Bottom line: The wrong attitude about hypocrisy can cause you to attack the very idea of morals, or make you think you must water down your morals to match private behavior you engage in out of weakness or folly that you still believe is wrong.
BTW, hypocrisy and tolerance are flip sides of the same thought distortion. As Chesterton said, tolerance is a virtue for people who don't believe in anything.
Hypocrisy is one word that really demonstrates the cultural divide. For those conservatively inclined, hypocrisy is "the tribute vice pays to virtue," and a sign of fallen man failing to live up to his aspirations. For those of a liberal bent, hypocrisy is among the greatest of sins, and most often a charge thrown at conservatives and other public moralizers.
What I find ironic is that liberals say conservatives are hypocrites, and conservatives largely agree.
The fundamental question is: What do we do about man's inability to live up to his highest aspirations. For some, the answer is to continue to try and be charitable about those who fail. For others, the answer is to define those aspirations down so that values and behavior meet.
BTW, I do think the definition of hypocrisy is often misused. A true hypocrite, as one commenter in the link above, is really a "rules are for other people" type of person. They believe in a morality that they have no intention of personally meeting. No, that's wrong. Hypocrisy doesn't refer as much to intention as belief. You publicly state a morality that you don't really believe in. You don't think it applies to you. And there's also an element that you are publicly benefiting from your stand, while privately benefitting from the broken value.
I wish this had been more clear. Maybe I'll take a rewrite later.
Bottom line: The wrong attitude about hypocrisy can cause you to attack the very idea of morals, or make you think you must water down your morals to match private behavior you engage in out of weakness or folly that you still believe is wrong.
BTW, hypocrisy and tolerance are flip sides of the same thought distortion. As Chesterton said, tolerance is a virtue for people who don't believe in anything.
Spitzer is, of course, a criminal who abused public funds to hire prostitutes. So his needing to go has nothing to do with his hypocritical behavior.
Hypocrisy itself doesn't strike me as a sin, but publicly profiting by decrying a behavior you secretly practice is (while not a sin) something that yanks my liberal chain. For example, gay sex and the extensive use of dubiously obtained pharmaceutical drugs, come to mind.
I'm not sure Clinton was a hypocrit. He's more of a pathologically selfish person whose wants justify his behavior. That's some other kind of behavior.
I would pose for you this question: What is the message we send to our kids if we don't punish hypocritical behavior?