by Dymphna Morrissey

Created on: September 03, 2011   Last Updated: September 04, 2011

Hypocrisy is basically saying one thing and doing another.  It is actually quite common to be a hypocrite.  Everyone is a hypocrite because everyone had made claims and has not followed through.  The agreed standards of society all have an element of hypocrisy.  As one grapples with what to say and do, he is considering how to appear acceptable and cover up aspects of his or her personal self that would not look right to certain people. 

Is the writer saying that everything is hypocrisy?  Is putting on deodorant hypocritical?  What about brushing one's teeth?  Is getting dressed hypocritical since one is covering up parts of the body that everyone has but everyone has agreed is naughty?

The answer to all these questions seems to be yes.  People are hypocrites.  The act of speaking is also hypocritical.  One considers how he or she will be viewed before opening the mouth.  Some will curse to be cool and view those who refrain from foul language as hypocrites because, they maintain, that's what we all really feel, right?  Yet, it is with the objective of looking tough that these expletives surface, not because the person is "allowing" himself to eject foul language.  The act of "allowing" oneself to curse is kind of implying that there was some mediation between thought and speech, and that is hypocritical!

The problem is that humans don't grunt like animals.  On the other hand, they are not as superb and excellent as they hope to be seen.  They are like amphibians, pulled to the water, yet struggling to move from those primordial depths.  The beast in others reminds us of the beast in ourselves and if we do not like some aspect of ourselves, we project our disdain onto others.  Still, this is just the most basic form of hypocrisy.  The variations of it are so numerous and extend to religious and nonreligious people alike. 

One may be a hypocrite by "being ahead of the game", while at the same time, playing the cynic of the rules.  This person will openly voice their cynicism about school, "rules", or "society in general".  Their objective is to get people to break the rules so they can profit off it.  These hypocrites are your classmate that rolls his or her eyes at "grades", but gets into the ivy league school because she was "lucky".  They are the coworker who sees the gain in a situation and acts ignorant in order to keep other people in

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