hypocrisy

Hypocrisy is the failure to live up to one’s own ideals, values, beliefs or principles. Ironically, anyone who holds an ideal will eventually fail to live up to it and thus become a hypocrite. But this should not be surprising, for we humans are finite fallible beings.

This should also not be used as any excuse for us. Hypocrisy, while inevitable, is still inexcusable. To try and fail to live up to an ideal is noble albeit flawed and hypocritical. But to pretend to believe in an ideal is worse than hypocritical.

When arguing with someone who holds an ideal, it is quite common for someone to point out their hypocrisy, and rightfully so. But hypocritical behavior tells us very little, if anything, about the ideal that was broken. It tells us far more about the character of the person who broke their ideal. It clues us into how much they truly believed in that ideal and how much discipline they had to hold to it in the face of challenges. Hypocritical behavior identifies the hypocrites but it does a poor job of identifying flawed hypocritical ideas. To see hypocritical behavior and conclude that therefore the idea is wrong is to commit the Appeal to Hypocrisy fallacy.