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December 28, 2022, 09:31:41 PM |
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So why be hypocritical sometimes? Why, on the contrary, be frank? And is it right or wrong... many philosophers and psychologists have looked into this question, but it is still difficult to answer.
For Laurent Bègue, professor of social psychology at the University of Grenoble, hypocrisy - like laughter - is part of "human nature.
He specifies that to understand the logic of a hypocritical person, it is necessary to "distinguish two important aspects: the moral valorization sought by the individual, who hopes to show himself more virtuous than his acts reveal it, and the gap, voluntary or not, between his words and his acts.
Hypocrisy is therefore the gap between the image we give (or wish to give) and our actions.
The word hypocrisy is a very old term which designated, in Greek, an actor of theater... Thus, in the literal sense, we are hypocrites when we play a character other than ours. When we perform an action by directing it to produce a better impression if it is judged by others."
Also in this article, "individuals would be hypocrites because they need to manage their social image." Thus, one is a hypocrite because one does not assume what one would say if one were sincere. Every person is concerned about their reputation, and acting is sometimes a solution when we don't dare to say what we really think - because we think it's wrong or unethical.
For example, we will compliment someone on their haircut - even if we don't think it's pretty - because we don't want to hurt their feelings and appear mean to others. We may even say something to one group of people and the opposite to another group a few minutes later, simply to avoid disappointing either one.
As the author points out, "We know that if we appear immoral to others, the price we pay is high: exclusion from the group and loneliness, which have dreadful consequences for physical and mental health."
Sometimes, some people even compare hypocrisy to politeness or diplomacy - which are also forms of "unspoken"
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