Talk:Hypocrisy

Seems underinclusive / overexplanatory
This second paragraph strikes me as really bad:

"It occurs when mechanisms and modules in the human brain - which evolved independently, in response to selection pressures, that varied over vast ranges of time and of place - contradict each other. These contradictions are normal, constant, and persistent. It is a cause, as well as a result, of cognitive biases and distortions which predispose humans to effortlessly perceive and condemn faults in others, while failing to perceive and condemn faults of their own."

It may well be that this is a cause of some hypocrisy. But it's unlikely to be the cause of all hypocrisy, which is what the paragraph seems to be claiming ("It occurs when...."). Relatedly, the whole "Evolutionary bases" section is almost completely unsourced (and of highly dubious relevance). The motives and causes for hypocrisy are highly complex, and worthy of the many works of literature and science that have treated them. This article's treatment seems facile in the extreme.76.121.187.193 (talk) 10:16, 3 April 2016 (UTC)

Etymology Update Request
Can someone review this scholarly article and evaluate it in order to potentially update the etymology section? According to the article, the original meaning for the word ὑποκριτής is ‘(inspired) interpreter’ and the original meaning of ὑποκρίνομαι is ‘to interpret (inspired communication)’. 50.91.101.169 (talk) 01:24, 17 February 2021 (UTC)

Do As I Say - Bad Link
The phrase, "Do as I say", links to here, but is not directly related and is not addressed. Therefore, that link is misleading. To be clear, there is nothing wrong with saying "Do as I say and not as I do". It is not hypocrisy. The reason is because the speaker is implying that they are flawed and recognize that fact. However, that does not detract from the truth of the sentiments presented.--KitchM (talk) 19:58, 21 August 2021 (UTC)

Self-Deception section is a non sequitur
I can see no way in which this section advances understanding of hypocrisy at all.

It's a completely unrelated topic and doesn't even attempt to make a link, which might be possible if a source was provided making that link. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Hacksoncode (talk • contribs) 20:28, 11 May 2022 (UTC)
 * I don't think it's just the self-deception subsection, – except for the bits about Jung and Kurzban, all of the Psychology section seems to lack context and relevance to the topic.  Schazjmd   (talk)  21:05, 11 May 2022 (UTC)

Wiki Education assignment: Political Sociology
— Assignment last updated by ImagineWorldPeace (talk) 18:33, 17 December 2022 (UTC)

Definition
The definitions of hypocrisy given in the lead appear to contradict both the word's original meaning and several of the examples cited later in the article.

"Hypocrisy" has at least two different meanings:


 * Failing to practice what one preaches or what one claims to believe in; praising good deeds while doing bad ones (e.g., a clergyman having an affair)
 * Pretending to be more virtuous than one really is; doing good deeds just for show (e.g., a company donating to charity for good PR)

Of these two meanings, the definitions in the lead reflect the first meaning, not the second:


 * Hypocrisy is the practice of engaging in the same behavior or activity for which one criticizes another or the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform. In moral psychology, it is the failure to follow one's own expressed moral rules and principles.

However, the second meaning is the older one. Indeed, the second meaning is the only one noted by the Online Etymology Dictionary:


 * c. 1200, ipocrisie, "the sin of pretending to virtue or goodness," from Old French ypocrisie, from Late Latin hypocrisis "hypocrisy," also "an imitation of a person's speech and gestures," from Attic Greek hypokrisis "acting on the stage; pretense."

Several of the article's examples of hypocrisy have nothing to do with a mismatch between one's words and one's deeds:


 * "In the Buddhist text Dhammapada, Gautama Buddha condemns a man who takes the appearance of an ascetic but is full of passions within."
 * "The best way to cultivate a reputation for fairness is to really be fair. But since it is much harder to be fair than to seem fair, and since laziness is built deep into human nature, humans more often choose appearance over reality."
 * "for Gilbert Ryle, to be hypocritical is to "try to appear activated by a motive other than one's real motive."

None of these examples need to involve praising good deeds while doing bad ones. Instead, they all have to do with doing (or pretending to do) good deeds just for show.

Should we expand the lead to include the original, broader meaning of "hypocrisy"? --Phatius McBluff (talk) Phatius McBluff (talk) 16:48, 31 March 2023 (UTC)