What does "hypocrite" mean?
The etymology of the word is immediately clear: “trying on faces” means hiding one’s real face. In ancient Rome, this was the name given to actors who actually wore and changed masks with grimaces painted on them. Today, a hypocrite is an insincere, two-faced person who does not say what he really thinks, for the sake of achieving some of his goals or unconsciously. In other words, hypocrisy is a discrepancy between words and actions and true judgments and feelings.
Hypocrite
Origin of the word
Who is a hypocrite? The answer is often associated with the theater. The meaning of a word is related to the action that took place in it. In the ancient Greek theater, actors during the performance expressed the feelings of the hero by wearing certain masks. This was done in order to evoke the right emotions in the public.
The meaning of the word “hypocrite” in Russian is associated with two ancient Slavic words: “face” (“face”) and “mena” (“men”). Literally, this combination can be interpreted as a change of face masks. Later, the second component began to be pronounced as a measure. As a result, hypocrisy acquired its modern sound and meaning.
How to recognize a hypocrite?
Intuitively, we all have a good sense of who hypocrites are, but there are a number of signs that instantly indicate the insincerity of the person in front of you:
- Tendency to gossip . If a completely friendly interlocutor at some point begins to say nasty things about mutual friends, know that he will say the same thing about you behind your back. What kind of sincerity are we talking about here?
- Ingratiating yourself with those in power . As soon as someone influential, popular or higher in rank appears in the field of view, does the acquaintance's behavior change to servile and flattering? Probably such a two-faced person seeks to gain some benefit from someone else’s status.
- Unkept promises . You can easily and quickly win the favor of others by promising them all sorts of benefits. Having received momentary recognition, the undertaken obligations must be fulfilled. This is what hypocritical politicians often do.
- A strained smile and tension in the voice . Feigned friendliness can be seen in a smile, in which only the lips smile, but not the eyes.
The truth is, hypocrites are scary people who can make your life a living hell.
You just have to bring such a person closer to you, give him access to your social circle, and you yourself will not notice how you will be burdened with other people’s affairs, and even forced to bear responsibility for something that does not concern you at all.
Moreover, the hypocrite will begin to impose his views on life on you, making you believe that his opinion is the only correct one, and that only some narrow-minded, or worse, flawed person can think differently.
In the end, you will begin to apologize for things that are not your fault.
Therefore, you need to stay as far away from hypocrites as possible. But the question is: how can he, a hypocrite, be recognized?
It's not all that complicated. These people are distinguished by certain signs by which it is not difficult to guess who is actually hiding under the guise of “the smartest, most knowledgeable, etc.”
You just need to be careful. Take a closer look at those around you. Have you ever noticed that one of them insistently demands that you do exactly what the person wants? And at the same time he always acts only in his own way? So, this is the first sign of a hypocrite. So:
— He always demands that his “recommendations” be followed
But his own words, as a rule, are at odds with his deeds. No rules or standards apply to him. What is not allowed for you is quite acceptable for the hypocrite himself. And - moreover - even necessary.
“He knows how to move the needle very well.”
Everyone is always to blame for everything. Except for one person - himself. Try to point out to the hypocrite some mistake he made!
He will immediately begin to prove to you that he did everything right, and it is not he, but you (or the rest of the world) who are to blame for the fact that something went wrong.
- He lives without rules.
All these prohibitions, instructions, formalities of tradition, in the end, are not for him! He is so much more perfect, according to his conviction, than everyone around him that he can do anything. In general, what is allowed to Jupiter...
- He will definitely take revenge on you.
Try to catch a hypocrite, for example, in a lie. Firstly, he will never agree that you are right (only he can be right, and you can only be guilty). Secondly, he will immediately begin to take revenge on you. The pattern would be something like this: ignore you while gossiping about you with other people.
- He presses for pity.
The hypocrite loves to play the victim. Have you ever met whiners who had a difficult childhood, bad parents, evil teachers, a foolish boss, and an unfaithful lover? And all at the same time? If you meet such a “poor guy,” run away from him as far and as quickly as possible. He simply reeks of disdain.
Favorite expressions of such a person: “You don’t understand!”, “You’re doing it wrong!” “You’re kind of stupid!”
Of course! Doing the right thing, understanding and being smart is not for you, it’s exclusively for him. When communicating with him, do you always feel like a stupid child who is reprimanded by the teacher for a forgotten diary? Make no mistake: this is exactly what the hypocrite wants.
“He’s great at making excuses.”
Whatever you catch a hypocrite doing, he will definitely come up with an excuse for himself. And not just one, but many at once! And the more arguments on your part, the more excuses he will come up with. He does it simply brilliantly! And it seems that putting you, the “fool,” in your place gives him real pleasure.
- He only teaches others.
The hypocrite himself never follows the postulates that he so loves to publicly voice. These are all words, nothing more.
Alas, the nature of a hypocrite is such that many are often ready to succumb to his imaginary charm.
This is especially true for modest, not very self-confident people. Those who really sincerely believe that actions are more important than words also fall for the bait of hypocrites. Well, and, of course, they are always ready to empathize with their neighbors and come to his aid. Do you remember how a hypocrite knows how to put pressure on a complaint? That's it!
In general, we have warned you.
Why are people so hypocritical?
You may have noticed that you behave differently in different conditions: at work you are limited by office rules, at home you are relaxed, and with friends you joke and show off. It is natural to adapt to the situation, but some people, when adapting, lose their principles and beliefs for the sake of profit. A two-faced hypocrite is ready to go over his head, change his views and rhetoric, just to present himself in the right light at the current moment.
However, lying and pretense do not always indicate an evil nature or a conscious desire to deceive. It happens that hypocrisy, as a moral quality, forms a kind of protection from the outside world. Insincerity arises in response to the fear of not being accepted, not meeting other people's expectations, not fitting into generally accepted norms. Hypocritically presenting yourself as someone you are not is the only way out.
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 does hypocrisy occur?
You can encounter hypocrisy anywhere, for example:
- In trade . Advertising, marketing gimmicks, online sales and pyramid schemes are all filled with hypocrisy. Convincing the consumer that your product is very necessary and the best on the market is a talent that has little to do with sincerity.
- In politics . They say that there is no place for principles in this area; only momentary interest rules there. The struggle for voters in the election race and the neglect of their needs after the elections clearly show us who the hypocritical politician is.
- At work . Intrigue and the struggle to move up the career ladder with feigned friendliness - who is unfamiliar with this?
- In the immediate vicinity , unfortunately. An insincere person can also be found among loved ones, having been admitted there through negligence. Such people provide us with bitter experience, but also teach us not to make mistakes in the future.
Attitude towards hypocrisy in society
Human society has been contradictory throughout the history of its existence. The collective forms standards and develops values that supposedly exist to create the art of mass deception. We must not forget for a minute that society is heterogeneous. What is condemned by some is the standard of perfection for another group of people. Therefore, it has no significance what standards of excellence are relevant in the current period of time for one social stratum. You need to look for someone who is close to you personally, then you won’t have to pretend.
Where do hypocrites meet?
It’s easier to answer the question about where there are few of them. This is Antarctica, which is not yet inhabited, and this continent is inhabited mainly by researchers who do not have serious grounds for obvious hypocrisy.
This is what a continent looks like without hypocrites
Duplicity in politics
The political environment is one where hypocrisy is part and parcel of ongoing action. If an ordinary engineer feigns business activity, but we ourselves are thinking about how he can quickly get out of the sight of his superiors in order to watch a movie or chat with colleagues, then in essence this is the same hypocrisy as the behavior of politicians. Only among the latter can each action have enormous significance in the fate of millions.
If the leader of the country says in his television address to the people that people will be deprived of their pensions in order to improve their own lives, then this cannot be done without hypocrisy. He has to behave as if a global humanitarian goal is being solved, and not a banal robbery is taking place.
Political hypocrisy is interesting because everyone knows about it. The losers are usually those players in this market who themselves begin to believe in their own propaganda.
Leaderism, the desire to hang trinkets on oneself, incredible shoulder straps and ridiculous military ranks are one of the features of the pseudo-patriotic hypocrisy of modern Russia
How to deal with hypocrites?
In order to protect yourself from disappointment, do not expect sincerity from the hypocrite. Realizing that this is a cunning person in front of you, beware of opening your soul to him or sharing your professional plans. When hypocrisy is unconscious, there is a chance to break through this armor: ask your interlocutor sudden questions of a personal nature - from surprise, truthful answers break through and complexes that provoke insincerity and hypocrisy become obvious, amenable to correction. Catching a deceiver in a lie is also an effective method of protecting against his further attempts to deceive.
How to expose a hypocrite?
A person who lies but knows the truth is by default in tension, trying to adhere to the legend. In this state, he can easily be driven to slips of the tongue that reveal insincerity. Psychologists advise using the following techniques for this:
- increase the voltage . Ask to retell a story you doubt about backwards, ask about the smallest details, or start questioning while the other person is concentrating on something else (for example, driving a car). The brain, already stressed by lies, will not cope with the additional load and will produce contradictory information.
- Talk a liar out . Create a relaxed atmosphere, start a conversation on abstract topics, make sure that the mask of the hypocrite falls off, and then take on the questions of interest. It's hard to lie in a relaxed state.
How to stop being a hypocrite?
It’s easy to judge others, but sometimes you end up catching yourself in systematic insincerity. Is there any reason to believe that others consider him a hypocrite and label him a “hypocrite”? It's time to reconsider your attitudes and be conscious of your own behavior:
- Allow yourself to be who you think you need to be, and push other people's expectations away.
- Determine which stereotypes interfere with freedom and work through them, perhaps even with a specialist.
- Think about how you can achieve your goals without resorting to lies.
- Find out what “hypocrite” means, and understand whether you really want to be like that?
