In contexts where hypocrites abound, the sincere are the bad and the truth is the great enemy, so honest distances will always be preferable when our values collide with the dark proximity that brings masks of kindness and golden armor behind which false people hide.
Is it quite possible that some people do not know that scientists, sociologists and biologists want to call the current terrestrial period?Anthropocene? (new man), rather than Holoceno. La intention is simple and even inspiring: to highlight a period in which humanity seeks to achieve a higher level of intelligence, social cohesion, harmony, respect and conscience.
“Superstition and hypocrisy bring a lot of benefit, but the truth must always beg. –Martin Luther–
However, books as interesting as “Anthropology, Embracing Coexistence in the Anthropocism”, by scientists Michael Tobias Charles and Jane Gray Morrison, tell us about a very real dimension: the hypocrisy of the human being. We’re still kind of a vertebrate used to preaching, thing and doing another. We suffer from a nature deficit disorder and, moreover, we still have a hard time promoting coexistence between us, setting aside cultural, social or gender differences.
We all know that it is not easy to distance ourselves from those we do not like or annoy us, sometimes we are forced to share space with a relative of extremist ideas, or even with a boss who does not have the same morals. However, we can create adequate protection spaces to never fall into the unhealthy exercise of hypocrisy.
Achilles said in the Lyaade that if there was anything that bothered him much more than the gates of hades, it is the people who say one thing and do another. Well, it’s very likely that we all have someone close to us with that kind of profile that’s so prevalent in the Anthropoccene era. What we may not know is that we should not blame the hypocrite himself solely and exclusively for his behavior.
Hypocrisy is much more than the classic dissonance between our guiding ideas and our behaviors, sometimes the same environment around us forces us to do so, every day we face a huge existential puzzle, the pieces spread and we are forced to survive on these ‘social surfaces’. so complex. Almost without realizing it, we sometimes end up doing things that do not correspond to our own principles, ideas or beliefs.
Between what is thought, what is said and what is done, there may be an abyss, and although we did not want to miss our own inner truth, we end up doing it by environmental pressures, this is what Leo Festinger defined as cognitive dissonance, that is. , a lack of harmony or a conflict between our system of ideas, beliefs and emotions (cognitions) with our own behaviors.
But while much of our society is land fertilized to behave like bespoke hypocrites, in fact we can clearly differentiate between two types: on the one hand, there are those who suffer from this cognitive dissonance and decide to set limits to find an adequate harmony between what they think and what they do; on the other hand, people who simply understand life like this abound, dissonance ceases to exist to give way to a firm and clear knowledge of what the person does, and it comes to have a total meaning and, above all, a purpose.
Practicing what is preached is not only a gesture of respect, but also of self-respect and personal well-being. We already know that everyone, in a way, has already practiced this art at some point so that they can integrate into a certain context: a job, a party, a family reunion?
However, if there is a clear and objective purpose of cognitive dissonances is to trigger a psychological alert to inform us that the thread that supports conduction with values is about to break, starting a process of reflection certainly prevents us from crystallizing hypocrisy.
“A man is less of a man when he speaks on his behalf. Give him a mask and he’ll tell you the truth. -Oscar Wilde-
Still, what can we do if we live near us in a steep, corrosive hypocrite?There are honest people who, when they feel something as simple as incompatibility of character or values, choose to distance themselves with the right elegance and respect. it is something that we certainly appreciate, but unfortunately not everyone starts this kind of good policy in principle.
The right thing to do, no doubt, would be for us to put on a security cordon and walk far enough away to never agree again, however, if that person is a relative, colleague or boss, it may not be so simple. .
In such cases, rule of three? R? It will be very useful
Last but not least, always remember that hypocrisy is camouflaged with kindness when something suits you, learns to be intuitive and careful, and if the opportunity finally arises, feel free to put the right distance where you can regain your emotional and psychological fullness.
Images courtesy of Rebecca Dautremer.