It seems that being insincere, criticizing something that you actually do yourself, hiding your “true” purpose or painting yourself as righteous when you are not, is the worst possible sin.
Worse than stealing, worse than cruelty, worse than murder.
Regardless of political position, we rejoice in finding evidence of duplicity. A politician who had a “hidden agenda” is so repugnant as to deserve violent retribution. A company that values profit over altruism should be gutted.
We will forgive the “crime of passion,” despite the horrific damage done. We excuse sexual misconduct, we even defend the terrorist because they “believe” what they are doing, even if many die. In other words, as long as you are driven by sincere emotion, we are able to rationalize an excuse for almost anything.
But not hypocrisy.
Nothing is more satisfying than finding out somebody misrepresented their intent. Such a special moment for all of us. The preacher with a mistress, the moralist with skeletons, the bribed politician. They must be destroyed, without mercy. We will even change or exaggerate the evidence in order to further vilify these monsters.
But here’s the thing: we all do this, every one of us, and we do it every day. Most of us don’t kill, maim, terrorize or torture, but we are all hypocrites in one way or another.
We hate the thing we do when we see it in others.
