The relevance of hypocrisy?

Question

Is the relevance of hypocrisy exaggerated? While it is important in some cases, notably when propriety is an unavoidable issue, I do believe that people often exaggerate the relevance of hypocrisy, as a way of distracting from an issue. If the so called hypocrite has a sound premise and factual information, what does it matter if his character is suspect? Would you turn down assistance from anyone that didn't live a non contradictory life? I think it's self defeating stubbornity to ignore a hypocrite because you assume his faulty character makes what he says probable lies.

What are your thoughts on hypocrisy?

Well, David, respecting your standards, I still would think them fallacious, but you're entitled to your opinion.

Answer 1

The problem with people who put so much stock in hypocrisy is that they do not distinguish between knowledge about the good and action regarding the good. Those are two very different things. I may be interested in an ethicist's views about morality, but I may not trust him to watch my goldfish if I thought that his character wasn't sturdy. C.S. Lewis writes, I believe in the Abolition of Man, that he would rather have a moral skeptic watch his back as long as the fellow has had a good upbringing than an ethicist who's been raised around criminals.

So, I don't really care about hypocrisy. If a man says one thing but does something nasty, are you going to trust him any more or any less than the man who simply does something nasty? That one may say something sensible isn't going to make you trust him more, or less, than the other.

Answer 2

How undeniably true. The saying that's applicable here goes: don't judge a book by its cover. Literally, just because a book has gilded edges or colorful illustrations do not warrant factual informations or true beautiful stories within. In the same vein, if its cover is dull and drab, do not discount that book to make it to the bestseller's list. The point of this is . Do not judge a hypocrite by his beliefs and remarks.

His faulty character should not be a hindrance to his credibility. We should not readily discredit or judge hypocrites by their lifestyles. We should stick to the issues at hand and not be muddled by hypocrisy. Variety is the spice of life. All can not be conformists. Otherwise, this world would be very dull. Much as there are democrats and republicans to balance the scale as there are the good and the bad.

The saying that is appropriate here could also be: "do as I say not do as I do." Not to practice one's convictions is a sign of hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is a necessary evil.

Answer 3

For me, once a person has lost their credibility (drifting in hypocrisy), their words are just like wind, lacking substance, so I couldn't believe them or think of them as a good team player.