Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.

hypocrisy is interesting

Author:David McCusker
Posted:9/26/2000; 11:41:49 AM
Topic:hypocrisy is interesting
Msg #:21728
Prev/Next:21727 / 21729

I very seldom mind hypocrisy in other folks when I also see good will. There's a very good reason for folks to be accidental hypocrites, and it correlates with good personal attributes I like to encourage, such as persistence and determination to see good things happen.

Here's the reason. People talk about things that concern them. This is often a problem they are actively solving. So there isn't a pat answer, and the chances one can always personally follow one's words exactly are slim to nil. It's part of the accepted risk in playing the game of life with any gusto. Safe people are boring. Interesting people take risks, make mistakes, and move around a bit.

So hypocrisy per se has almost no denigrating factor for me at all. It's only wrong when it's an active disinformation program the speaker never really believed. When someone seems to contradict themselves with either word or deed, this should be considered an invitation to conversation and not an invitation to attack.

If you see someone seem to contradict themselves, then a polite and analytical investigation is actually likely to be interesting to the person involved. Because you are then contributing to a problem solution instead of being a problem oneself.

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