Is hypocrisy a modern disease of society? 5 Signs of a Hypocrite

This article was developed under the heading: Psychology.

Section: Character.

In modern society, relationships between people are complex, multi-layered and not always sincere. Each of us has encountered people who hid completely different intentions behind their actions or words. We also often encounter lies, betrayal or deception. Such people who bring nothing but disappointment into our lives are called hypocrites. “Hypocritical people” is more a description of the special moral qualities of a particular individual. Now being a hypocrite is even a serious insult. But is it really that bad? Can at least one person be called completely sincere, honest and unhypocritical? Let's try to answer these difficult questions in this article.

In this article we talk about hypocrisy and duplicity

What is hypocrisy and who is a hypocrite?

The term “hypocrisy” is studied in various sciences. For example, sociology, psychology, cultural studies. This phenomenon can also be found in art. For example, hypocrisy is often revealed in works of fiction. But what is hypocrisy from a scientific point of view?

Hypocrisy is a moral quality and personality characteristic that suggests that an individual commits immoral or immoral acts and attaches high lucrative value and high noble significance to them.

In simple words, hypocrisy is when a person lies and deceives, presenting his negative actions in a good light and quality. Thus, the term hypocrisy is quite broad in its meaning. Therefore, in science there are different definitions of this phenomenon. We propose to consider some scientific positions for a more accurate understanding of hypocrisy.

Igor Kon

According to Igor Kon, from an ethical point of view, hypocrisy is a negative quality of a person, which means that a person attaches a high moral and ethical meaning to his immoral actions.

Sigmund Freud

He considered the term hypocrisy as a special characteristic of culture and society, in which hypocrisy is a way of protecting society, since a ban is established on judging someone due to the insecurity of the people themselves.

Benoit Monin

This definition is the simpler among all those mentioned. According to B. Monin, hypocrisy is a form of interpersonal deception between individuals.

Thus, hypocrisy is a deception that occurs due to the fact that a person covers his lie with a good purpose or moral properties.

Accordingly, when it comes to who a hypocrite is, we should proceed from the definition of hypocrisy. Thus, a hypocrite is a person who deceives others, covering this deception with other information, or justifying his actions.

Where does hypocrisy occur?

Hypocrisy is a complex human characteristic. And it is complicated by the fact that each individual sets his own boundaries of what is permitted, as well as how relationships between people should be built. However, one way or another, hypocrisy is characterized by general moral principles and attitudes.

Hypocrisy is ubiquitous in modern society. From family to work relationships. Here are some possible areas of hypocrisy:

1. Family relationships. Relatives may secretly dislike each other. Therefore, when meeting, they “put on” masks, in which true emotions are quite difficult to track. At the same time, when left alone with another person, people begin to openly show their negative attitude towards any family member;
2. Job. There are many reasons why hypocritical relationships are built at work. Often between employees, and also between an employee and a boss. The hypocrisy here (that is, hiding the true attitude towards each other) is caused by the shared workspace. Roughly speaking, people tolerate each other so as not to disrupt the work process.

Human hypocrisy occurs in all types of relationships and areas of activity.

Why are people so hypocritical these days?

In fact, hypocrisy has been known to society since its inception. We can say that this is a normal human and social process. If everyone said what they really thought, it is unlikely that society would make any progress.

The modern situation is complicated by the fact that hypocrisy is, roughly speaking, encouraged by modern technologies and methods of communication. On the Internet, when you can hide your true identity, you can make your negative comments while hiding your identity. Moreover, with each generation people become closed, withdrawn, and suspicious. Therefore, revealing the true motives is the privilege of a narrow circle of people (the inner circle).

It is important to understand that hypocrisy is not an entirely negative phenomenon. It can also be viewed from a positive point of view. Moreover, we all use hypocrisy in our lives in one way or another. Sometimes you may not even notice it.

What is the difference between a hypocrite and a liar?

A rather difficult question is how hypocrisy differs from lying. In truth, lying is a component of any hypocritical communication. However, the motives for these two actions are different. Let's look at this issue in more detail.

Hypocrite

A hypocritical person is, first of all, a person who uses lies on a constant basis. What does it mean? This means that hypocrisy describes the very character of a person and his personality. For example, for various reasons such as: low self-esteem, self-doubt, various psychological traumas, a person can insult another behind his back while outwardly maintaining a “good” relationship with him. That is, he hides his true motives due to various factors. And here we are not talking fundamentally about some information that the hypocrite does not want to disclose, but about the attitude towards someone.

Liar (liar)

In turn, lies are clear actions of a person that are aimed at hiding some information. For example, information about infidelity, betrayal, etc. In this case, the person does not change his internal attitude towards the interlocutor. But he prefers to lie and hide some facts that he would not want the interlocutor to know. At the same time, lying is always the basis of hypocrisy, since the hypocrite tries to lie about his true attitude towards a specific individual.

But as already mentioned, hypocrisy and lies are quite similar to each other as a social phenomenon. Therefore, quite often it is very difficult to distinguish them from each other. Hypocrisy always has a hidden and selfish motive. For example, reluctance to lose one’s importance and possible help. Often such situations occur in the classroom. When an excellent student helps her friend on tests and with homework. And the second one calls her names and insults her in the company of others. He even makes fun of him for his naivety. She doesn't want to lose any possible help with her studies, so she only speaks her true emotions behind her back.

How are these two-faced people?

Duplicity is a term used to describe a person who says one thing, thinks another, and does another. ... Duplicity

for selfish purposes - it is also often called flattery or fawning - can be practiced by a person with normal self-esteem, embodying the principle “you give me - I give you.”

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Types of hypocrisy

As already mentioned, hypocrisy can have several reasons. That is, there are several factors of hypocritical behavior in a person. In accordance with these factors and areas where hypocrisy is applied, types of hypocrisy are divided, which we will talk about later.

Hypocrisy presupposes that a person puts on a mask of duplicity in relation to other people

Double standards

“Double standards” mean that different types of criticism are applied to different people. For example, one person may be convicted of an action, but another may not. By analogy, this applies to the hypocrite himself, his personality. For example, a hypocrite may strongly condemn the actions of his friend. But at the same time, he will consider the same actions committed by himself to be true and correct.

This is where the double standards lie. In simple terms: for one person such standards will exist, but for another they will not, in the eyes of a hypocrite.

Moral duplicity

Moral duplicity, in turn, presupposes exactly what we talked about earlier - a person’s attitude towards another.

A simple example: this is a group of friends in which everyone communicates nicely. But at the same time, if someone from the company is not at a meeting or on a joint vacation, then this person becomes the center of discussion among the other members of this company. Roughly speaking, moral hypocrisy involves the hypocrite deceiving another person with his true attitude towards him. But at the same time, with third parties he can openly express his attitude towards him

It is in relation to this type of hypocrisy that such characteristics as duplicity are often used.

Moral weakness

Moral weakness is quite different from the types already listed. If the previous types suggest that the hypocrite person enters into complete confrontation with some other individuals. That moral weakness presupposes a type of hypocrisy that appears due to insufficient confidence in one’s own beliefs.

That is, in fact, moral weakness is the most average version of hypocritical behavior. Moreover, such a hypocrite will not be considered two-faced. That is, the hypocrite himself can sincerely believe in the beliefs that he conveys to society.

Religious hypocrisy

Hypocrisy is a general concept for many areas of human life, so it is considered even in the context of religious teachings. For example, Islam identifies hypocrisy as a separate category of human vices. Of course, we will not delve into the content of religious scriptures, and especially Islam. But based on this, we can identify the following possible types of hypocrisy.

The Great Hypocrisy

The first type is hypocrisy of belief. In the context of Islam, this implies that a person outwardly shows his faith, while observing the traditions and precepts of the religion, but in reality he is not a believer.

Minor hypocrisy

The second type is hypocrisy of actions. This behavior suggests that a person may not comply with the external mandatory procedures of religion, but at the same time is a sincere believer.

Examples of hypocrisy in life

Hypocritical people are found everywhere. Each of us has met such individuals, and some even continue to communicate with them. Let's look at some simple examples of hypocrisy.

Hypocrisy in friendship

The mask of duplicity is often found in friendly relationships. In friendship, a hypocrite is one who hides his true attitude towards his friends.

For example, you have a company of 3 people. One of them constantly discusses the third friend with you. He condemns and condemns all his actions. But at the same time, he does not personally express these dissatisfaction. Everything happens secretly and secretly. When the three of you communicate, you see that the hypocrite is trying in every possible way to preserve the feigned sincere relationship. This is justified by his selfish motivation and motives.

Hypocrisy at work

A two-faced person can also be encountered in a work team. For example, a boss and a subordinate need to hide their own dislike for each other. Since this is necessary to continue working together. But they talk about each other behind their backs, express dissatisfaction and “dream” of never working together again.

Such hidden hostility is not always caused by the fact that someone is a bad professional. It may be a simple personal dislike that cannot be expressed due to the working relationship between the people.

At university or school

Often a person behaves duplicitously when in an educational environment. For example, a classmate does not like another who is an excellent student and understands all the material without difficulty. The first thought comes to mind: make friends in order to constantly receive help. At the same time, an excellent student in the company of a classmate will be subject to constant ridicule and she will not hide her hostility towards her.

There are reasons why a person is two-faced in adulthood

A hypocrite in the scientific sense

In the scientific sense, hypocrisy is a little more complex. This can manifest itself in several ways, and for several reasons, and often people do not do it purely for self-interest.

This idea makes sense if you think of moral judgment not as a tool for rebuking others, but as a way to enhance your reputation. In one study we found support for this view: people tend to take someone's normative statements, such as “It is a bad waste of energy,” as an indication of how the speaker himself acted. In fact, our results suggest that people were more likely to believe that a speaker did not waste energy if he said, “Wasting energy is wrong,” than if he simply said, “I don't waste energy.” Moral judgment seems to act as a particularly strong signal of behavior—more powerful than even direct statements of behavior.

Many things called hypocrisy may not actually be hypocritical, and most of the time hypocritical things are allowed to go forward because they are supported by the observer's worldview.

For example, someone who encourages people to give money to charity, but then turns out that they don't give anything themselves, they are considered a hypocrite.

Additionally, people tend to react more strongly to hypocrisy when it involves criticism or negative judgment. Someone boasts of being a supporter of live music, but turns out to never go to concerts?

The hypocrite irritates many people. People react strongly to perceived injustice, so such hypocrisy will make them very angry and demand retribution.

Likewise, people are much quicker to spot hypocrisy when it goes against their own beliefs. The politician you oppose promotes family values, but was caught having an extramarital affair? Hypocrite!

Essentially, people are not 100% rational or consistent. Value judgments tend to be subjective rather than objective, so the degree and severity of hypocrisy is often in the viewer's view. This feeds hypocrisy in other ways.

Signs of a hypocrite and how to recognize one

But how can you identify a hypocritical person in your environment? Such people have common similarities and characteristics. It is these signs that we will now consider:

1. Features of nonverbal communication. Social relationships with someone are not just about words. It is also important to pay attention to physiological signals. For example, an insincere smile, tension on the face, redness of the skin. These signals indicate that the person may be lying to you. You should also pay attention to the position in which the person communicates with you. For example, it can be closed (legs crossed, arms crossed on the chest, hands locked). This will indicate detachment from you. In some conversations, such as personal ones, this may also indicate a negative attitude towards you;
2. Speech. How concise the speech is can also indicate sincerity. For example, if in a normal state your interlocutor speaks competently and does not stammer. But at some point he begins to “moo”, gets confused in letters and words, then they are probably trying to deceive you, they are not talking to you sincerely;
3. Hypocrites are often characterized by selfishness, as well as a heightened sense of their own greatness. Such people strive to elevate themselves among others. At the same time, they themselves do not put other people on their level;
4. Hypocrites love attention. They can attract the attention of others with their confrontational phrases and opinions;
5. Other people may point out your friend's hypocrisy. This is something to pay attention to;
6. When talking to you, he discusses other people. At the same time, in front of these people, he behaves two-facedly. Remember that if a person did this to someone, he can easily do this to you.
7. Often hypocrites can be mercantile and judge people behind their backs for their own purposes.

The main thing is that the hypocrite discusses others. But he doesn’t tell them about it to their faces. This is why duplicity and hypocrisy occur.

Almost all of us are hypocrites in certain situations.

History of the term

Even during the primitive communal system, people learned to be hypocrites. Scientists are sure that the hypocritical instinct is inherent in humans by nature. Of course, this behavioral feature appeared earlier than the special term by which this personal quality was called.

The term for this personality trait originated in Ancient Rome. At that time, girls playing various roles in the theater were called hypocrites. In a literal sense, this word meant “to try on different faces, to appear in different images, to wear a mask.”

The roots of hypocrisy should be sought in ancient theatrical art

The Greeks also had the word “hypocrisy”, using which they wanted to say that a person was behaving artificially, pretending.

Now this term denotes such human behavior in which a clear contradiction is revealed between his external actions and personal beliefs. Synonymous concepts for this personality trait are:

• falsehood - insincerity in behavior, falsity (the term is used in psychology when there is a need to indicate the discrepancy between a person’s words and his facial reactions);
• guile is a negative character trait, expressed in the fact that a person displays cunning, flattery, and intrigue when communicating with loved ones;
• pretense – conscious actions of a person aimed at misleading interlocutors;
• hypocrisy is a demonstrative model of pious behavior of an individual who in reality does not follow religious principles and does not show piety in everyday life;
• deception – deliberate concealment of true information, distortion of facts;
• two-facedness is a psychological strategy of human behavior in which the words and actions of an individual diverge from his personal beliefs.

Why do people become hypocrites?

A hypocritical person begins to be a hypocrite for specific reasons. This can be both education and a way of psychological protection. But for what reasons exactly does a person become hypocritical? Let's look at the main factors in the formation of duplicity.

Fear of punishment or condemnation

Strange as it may seem, duplicity and hypocrisy can primarily be caused by fear and uncertainty. For example, a person is unsure of the correctness of his opinion or decision, so he prefers to obey the opinion of the majority. Such people are weak-willed. Therefore, even if their attitude towards someone is opposite, they will not say so for fear of not being accepted in the social group.

Principle of least resistance

The principle of least resistance works similarly to fear of punishment. That is, the less “different” you are from those around you, the easier it is to become a full-fledged part of a group. Thus, in this case, hypocrisy works as a measure and method of socialization.

Following social norms

Imposed moral and social values ​​can also cause the formation of duplicity. our views may differ dramatically from generally accepted ones. Therefore, hypocrisy is self-deception in which we adapt to general norms, denying independent opinions and views.

Insincerity towards oneself can cause the formation of duplicity

Reluctance to offend

“White lie” - everyone has heard this phrase at least once. She says that sometimes it is better to lie than to tell the truth. But is it? Hardly.

Hypocrisy, based on a reluctance to offend, is built on the internal belief of the hypocrite that his lies will make everyone better. This way he will save someone from unnecessary negativity and worries.

Selfish motives

Self-interest is secret reasons, most often associated with material gain. For example, hypocrisy can be used to get a high grade on an exam or to advance in your career.

Copying parents' behavior

Education and family are the sources of formation of our personality. Therefore, if lying was common in the family. It is more likely that in adult life the child will begin to unconsciously copy this model of building relationships with people.

Hypocrisy as a mechanism of self-deception

This type is very associated with uncertainty and reluctance to enter into confrontation with others. Therefore, the hypocrite deceives not only the people around him, but also himself.

Hypocrisy does not always involve causing moral harm to someone

What to do if you manage to identify a hypocrite among your friends

Obviously, anger does not solve anything, because a person who is deceitful and acts in dishonest ways will hide behind his behavior to criticize the anger directed at him, and our attitude does not change anything. That is, their behavior will remain the same. Thus, there are some psychological techniques that can help deal with the lies of hypocritical people. How to behave?

Provide the necessary evidence base

In situations where hypocrisy is present, it is best to expose it. To do this, you need to be true to your own principles, regardless of the sphere of influence of this person. Show him with a clear example, recall a situation where a hypocrite contradicts himself. Ignore his excuses, criticism of other people, and also avoid concentrating on the insults that can pour in, because his authority has been shaken.

Analyze their behavior

You need to be careful in your judgments and try to be unbiased. Human nature knows how to label, fall under the influence of the majority, and likes and dislikes also influence the perception of another person. False emotions make you see negative traits in an unpleasant person; hypocrisy is no exception. Try not to listen to others, but form your own opinion. Take a closer look at a friend, acquaintance, employee. Characterize his behavior from the outside, try it on yourself. Think: “What would I do in his place, what would I change or behave in the same way?” This will help you draw the right conclusion, evaluate your own actions and moral qualities.

Use as motivation

Look at him with the understanding that you definitely shouldn’t be such a person or adopt certain traits, certain skills. For example, how to please a large number of people, methods of attracting attention, stop criticizing yourself for the slightest mistakes, develop your own communication skills.

In any case, you must try to behave calmly with hypocritical people. By adopting some beneficial skills, you can better cope with uncomfortable situations, grow professionally, but remain true to yourself and better understand your surroundings.

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Attitude towards hypocrisy in society

Now many people say that hypocrisy is a modern disease of the 21st century. People shout that you need to be honest, sincere, and say everything to your face. But is it really that useful? Before summing up how to think about hypocrisy, let's look at some of the pros and cons of hypocrisy.

"Behind"

1. Allows you to avoid unnecessary conflicts;
2. If you are an impressionable and emotional person, a slight degree of hypocrisy will save your nerves;
3. Honesty is not always possible in some social relationships: work, study, etc. It is unlikely that you will be able to express to your teacher all the negativity that has accumulated in you towards him;
4. Tolerance, especially due to teamwork factors, can also be seen as hypocrisy. But this allows you to finish the job and achieve high results in the group.

"Against"

1. This offends other people, including those closest to you;
2. Hypocrisy becomes a repulsive factor for others;
3. Duplicity can be used as a way to achieve selfish goals;
4. Often duplicity indicates absolute insincerity;
5. You may be deceived, including deception regarding feelings and emotions;
6. Inability to build close and intimate relationships.

Think about it, how often do you cheat? How often do you avoid sharp phrases and expressions to avoid conflict? Absolute sincerity is a myth. No person can be absolutely honest about everything that happens in his life. We all live in society, and each of us is a separate individual personality. Therefore, it is often simply impossible to send out real thoughts.

Psychiatrists about jealousy

From the point of view of a psychiatrist, jealousy, in addition to being a negative emotion and a complex feeling, is also a symptom. Symptom - because jealousy causes suffering and can cause mental pain. And because for many mental illnesses it is a specific indicator.

What diseases can jealousy be a symptom of (“pathological jealousy”):

• Paranoia.
• Psychoorganic syndrome (encephalopathy).
• Dementia (dementia).
• Mild mental retardation.
• Personality disorders (psychopathy).
• Alcoholism.
• Epilepsy.
• Depression.

Based on modern knowledge about the physiology of the brain, jealousy can be classified as a type of anxiety (fear, phobia). Just like with any anxious state, with jealousy there is overexcitation of certain structures in the brain. Only in cases of jealousy (unlike most phobias) does the focus of overexcitation exist for a long time, contributing to an imbalance in the processes of inhibition and excitation throughout the brain and changes in chemical processes in neurons.

How to Deal with a Hypocrite

Is there a classic example of a hypocrite in your circle? You don't know how to communicate with him? Let's look at some of the nuances of communicating with such people:

• If the situation allows: avoid the hypocrite, reduce possible contacts with him;
• In cases where contact is necessary, try to minimize the initiative on your part;
• Do not show that some words or phrases of the hypocrite offend you. Keep your emotions under control;
• Don't participate in others' discussions.

In fact, all methods of communication come down to minimizing possible contacts. The main thing is to build your personal boundaries and designate a space that a hypocrite cannot enter.

What methods do doctors use to treat morbid jealousy?

Pathological jealousy is difficult to treat. Therapy is preceded by the doctor’s determination of the psychological, social and biological characteristics of each specific patient. The greatest successes in therapy can be achieved with the help of psychopharmacotherapy: specific neuroleptics, mood stabilizers, neurometabolic therapy, sedatives. Psychotherapy and physiotherapy are used in combination with medications. Isolation from the familiar environment (for example, hospitalization in a hospital) can have a positive effect on the prevalence of ideas of jealousy.

If you or your loved one exhibits the symptoms described above, please contact us. We provide psychological assistance and, if necessary, treatment of pathological jealousy.

How to expose a hypocrite

Do you want to expose the hypocrite? Do you want others to know about his fakeness? Then you can apply the following actions:

1. Constantly ask leading questions to the hypocrite. Try to confuse him;
2. Call out the hypocrisy directly and try to have a constructive dialogue;
3. If your relationship is close, try to have a heart-to-heart talk and express the problem;
4. Involve other people: friends, loved ones, relatives;
5. Remember the inconsistencies;
6. You can try to prick the hypocrite in a common company so that he is in the discomfort zone.

Means of combating hypocrisy

Hypocrisy is a personality characteristic, therefore, like any character trait or emotion, it can be controlled. The following are ways to combat hypocrisy:

At the level of consciousness (elaboration of one’s own attitudes, values, causes and consequences)

At the level of social and personal responsibility

In the field of personal development

Working with self-esteem, perception of the world and one’s own capabilities

Despite the fact that such control methods look very banal, they really help as a way to effectively control this personality mechanism. For the most part, the fight against hypocrisy occurs through introspection and self-improvement. Of course, if you want to help your neighbor, you can help him with this. However, such support and assistance should only be expressed in empathy and understanding. Under no circumstances should you blame or insult anyone.

Human hypocrisy can be controlled and “treated”

Where are hypocrites more common?

Unfortunately, hypocrisy occurs in all areas of life. But first of all, you can encounter duplicity in the following areas:

• trade;
• power/politics;
• television and advertising.

Here is one of the clearest examples of hypocrisy. Girls with gorgeous hair tell us from the screens about the miracle of shampoo, and with smooth skin - about magical cosmetics, etc. Having bought the treasured bottle and tried the product on ourselves, we see its uselessness. So much for hypocrisy.

How to deal with hypocrisy within yourself

Based on the results of this article, one important conclusion can be drawn: every person is a hypocrite to one degree or another. And this is quite normal, since hiding the true attitude and motives in some life situations can serve as a way to avoid conflicts, build business relationships, etc.

But what to do when hypocrisy goes beyond reasonable and acceptable limits? What if I'm a hypocrite? Of course, this phenomenon lends itself to self-control and self-regulation. In this case, it is not at all necessary to contact specialists. Because you can get rid of duplicity yourself. Here are some tips to combat hypocrisy within yourself:

1. Initially, you need to sort out your life attitudes and values. In the process of this, you need to accept the fact that you are an individual person who has the right to his own point of view. Even if this point of view does not suit most people. Of course, here we are talking about those attitudes that do not go beyond the concepts of morality and ethics;
2. Develop a moderate eccentricity in yourself that will not allow you to succumb to the opinions of others who may be hypocritical. This factor is characteristic of some social groups, and the originality of eccentrics can save you.
3. Accept and understand the responsibility you have for your own values. Here again the point is that your interests and moral qualities/values ​​are unshakable and should not be criticized by others;
4. Strive for development. Development, including self-development, is a way to solve most personality problems. Spend more time alone with yourself, learn to understand and hear yourself and your desires;
5. Work on your self-esteem. Finding that golden mean of self-esteem is quite difficult. It's easy to go to extremes. Therefore, it is important to understand that you can be better than someone only based on objective criteria. For example, by the presence of professional skills. But you can’t adequately consider yourself worse. Perhaps your fear of responsibility is stopping you;
6. Be sincere with your loved ones. It is important to learn how to express your emotions and attitude correctly. Start with a close and narrow circle. As soon as you learn to correctly present your thoughts to them, this will automatically transfer to the sphere of ordinary communication between people.

Who are you pretending to be?

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners, so that they may appear before people. Truly I say to you, they are already receiving their reward” (Matthew 6:5).

Are you pretending to be righteous? Do you pretend to pray when you don't even believe that God is there in that situation? Do you pretend to be happy with others when you yourself are filled with jealousy and rivalry? Do you pretend to trust God, while you yourself are simply consumed by fear? Do you pretend to care about other people just to get them to like you?