It may look like a duck and quack like a duck but not be a duck.

What appears to be hypocrisy is not always a matter of saying one thing and doing another; we are sometimes compelled by circumstances to respond one way when our minds say something else.

Example: A father whose daughter is raped shouldn’t be on the jury. But neither should we call him a hypocrite for promoting one’s civic duty while at the same time wanting to kill the guy on trial.

Other examples of things that are not hypocrisy:

* Asking your children to eat baked salmon and broccoli even though you despise it.

* Cleaning up your appearance and language for work or church or other public places.

* Tolerating alternative lifestyles that you don’t embrace yourself.

* Telling others not to make the same mistakes you did.

Real hypocrisy is just expecting behavior from others we aren’t willing to model ourselves. If we can corral others in sufficient numbers, we can do what we want when no one’s looking.

And there is a difference between private behavior that remains private because it’s personal, and private behavior that remains private because it’s abusive or illegal or dangerous.

[2013-02-03]

c0

I truly had nothing and no one in mind. If I did, it has long since evaporated when I jotted these thoughts down nearly a year ago.

[2014-01-08]

c0