I usually don’t start things but with politicians or politics, but I’m making an exception for Senator Ted Cruz. While I don’t live in Texas, I have family members that do. One of them was without power for more than a few hours at a time for basically 2 days while basically living in 1 room in their apartment (2 adults, 2 kids under 10) because the water pipes in the apartment above them broke. It has been frustrating for me because there’s really nothing I can do to help them. So when Cruz decided to take a trip to Cancun (1) while hundreds of thousands of Texans were without drinkable water & power and (2) in the midst of a global pandemic, I was angry.
So this week’s topic of hypocrisy stems from my desire to understand why I & others were so angry with Cruz’s decision. I will not discuss political views but I will provide examples of what Cruz has said in the past about others’ behaviors that are so very similar to his.
While I don’t follow Cruz’s politics, I did find some interesting statements he has made in the past. One of the most notable tweets was one he posted in December criticizing the mayor of Austin, Steve Adler, for going on a vacation to Cabo while advising his constituents to stay home. He also had harsh criticisms for the leadership in California when they had rolling blackouts during the recent extreme fire season. Whether or not Mayor Adler or California were justified or right has nothing to do with this post so I’m not even gonna go there. The issue here is that just as Mayor Adler went on an ill-timed vacation, so did Cruz & just as California had to implement rolling blackouts during extreme weather, so did Texas.
I want to get away from the politicization of this situation, so I’m done with talking about Senator Cruz. I feel like the illustration is clear & will give a frame of reference for the concepts that I really want to discuss.
“Hypocrisy doesn’t result from having double standards but pretending you have one standard when no one does.” Jeremy E. Sherman Ph.D., MPP
I hear hypocrisy & double standards used interchangeably. But they really aren’t the same thing. Double standards arise where rules or behaviors apply to only specific groups of people. Think of those that support freedom of religion as long as it is a religion that follows the same entity. That’s an example of a double standard.
What is hypocrisy?
Now hypocrisy is a bit different It’s a type of cognitive dissonance that displays when someone (or group) promotes a behavior or belief while not abiding by it. People have a tendency to have more animosity towards a hypocrite than someone who is open about their behavior that doesn’t align with their own beliefs. Why? Because we feel deceived or dupped. We held someone to a standard based on what they espoused so it hurts when they act contradictorily.
I found several articles citing hypocrisy studies in university, religious, and business settings. The 2 big takeaways I got out of these studies were:
There is a significantly high correlation between people that are vocal about their moral superiority & behavior that contradicts their moral mandates.
When someone is adored or highly respected by someone, they’re likely to justify the transgressions rather than hold the offender responsible for their actions.
Hypocrisy motivators
That got me thinking about the motivations of hypocritical behavior. What would someone have to gain that is worth the risk, especially when you’re a public figure? There seem to be a few major reasons that repeatedly surfaced during my research.
Power & influence. I think the obvious example that illustrates this is politicians. How many times have we heard about scandals involving politicians that “made mistakes” even though we know it was completely intentional and motivated by their desire to move up the ranks of their political party.
Moral superiority. The example that immediately comes to mind for this one is televangelists & religious figures that exploit their followers financially while living a posh lifestyle. The narrative is to sacrifice in order to humble yourselves & receive blessings coming from a messenger with expensive cars, extravagant homes, & private planes.
Personal gain. This is a less specific motivation than the other 2 simply because there are so many other less obvious reasons for hypocrisy. It may stem from things like the desire for a promotion at all costs in the workplace or to discredit someone because of a personal disagreement.
Combatting hypocrisy
Okay - so now we know what hypocrisy is and some of its motivations. From there, I wanted to know about strategies to avoid it in my own life (since I can’t control others’ behavior). Like I always say, this is not an exhaustive list & I am not a mental health professional; however, these suggestions come from said professionals.
Here are 3 strategies I found that resonated most:
Understand my own personal beliefs & values. If I don’t understand my own beliefs & values, then how will I know where my boundaries are? By examining what is important to me, I am able to make better decisions that bring me greater joy. For example, there are certain organizations that I will not support because their values are in direct opposition to my own. This allows me to invest my support in ways that bring me satisfaction.
Be empathetic towards other beliefs & perspectives. I always say that if we all thought the same way, this would be a very boring world. I think we need diversity in thought, belief, experience, etc. What is important to remember is that rather than immediately dismiss someone or an organization, I should take the time to understand where they’re coming from. While I may not agree, gaining that empathetic perspective allows me to live civilly & can provide great educational opportunities.
Acknowledge & take responsibility for actions that contradict my moral code. Guess what! No one is perfect - like NO ONE. It’s inevitable that I will do something that contradicts my own beliefs, values, or morals. The important thing is that I can recognize when that happens, take responsibility (even if no one knows about it), & learn from the experience. Maybe there’s a belief that I’ve harbored for a long time that I need to reexamine. Or maybe I’ve never realized that something I’ve done is hypocritical. I need to not be afraid of self-examination.
I hope that understanding what hypocrisy is and what you can do about it in your own life, it can move us a little bit closer to a more empathetic and honest society. Being authentic with yourself and others can definitely be uncomfortable but it is also empowering!
Articles & Resources
Double Standard from the APA Dictionary of Psychology
Moral Hypocrisy by author unknown, iresearchnet.com
Power Increases Hypocrisy: Moralizing in Reasoning, Immorality in Behavior by Joris Lammers (Columbia University), Diederik A. Stapel (Tilburg University), & Adam D. Galinsky (Northwestern University)
Teaching Tip Sheet: Cognitive Dissonance by Ann O'Leary, PhD, American Psychological Association
Ted Cruz has repeatedly slammed politicians for vacationing during crisis by Andrew Kaczynski & Em Steck, CNN
The Root of All Hypocrisy by Jeremy E. Sherman Ph.D., MPP, Psychology Today
We Dislike Hypocrites Because They Deceive Us by Jillian Jordan, Association for Psychological Science
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