Hypocrisy and duplicity reigning supreme

"The ordinary people condemn and resent this duplicitous conduct of politicians, yet, it is paradoxical that they themselves freely indulge in this type of conduct in their personal and social activities. Most people, more often than not, tend to hide their true feelings in order to maintain peace and harmony."

by Milinda Rajasekera

(April 20, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The practice of hypocrisy, double standards and duplicity, individually and collectively, by people in most fields of activity seems to be one of the main causes of conflict, confusion and turmoil occurring, nationally and internationally. This, of course, is not a phenomenon of recent origin, but today, it appears to have reached intolerable proportions.

Hypocrisy simply means pretension of persons to be better than what they really are. They give expression to various views and opinions different from what they really hold about various problems and issues. They profess virtue while practicing vice. They preach temperance but persist in bibulous habits.

It is in the field of politics and religion that this Jekyll and Hyde behavior is widely prevalent. Politicians appear as paragons of virtue making all kinds of impressive pronouncements they do not honestly mean; hold out promises they do not wish to fulfill; condemn persons and policies but embrace them subsequently for personal gain; implement projects and programmes they had rejected while supporting a different political party; defend and uphold human rights when in the opposition and violate them or condone them after being elevated to seats of power; castigate those abusing power and misusing public property, and perpetuate the same wrongs in power; condemn extravagance and wasteful expenditure while in the opposition and bask in them when crowned with power; voice their great respect for democratic rights and freedoms, but trample them for political and personal advantage after achieving power.

The ordinary people condemn and resent this duplicitous conduct of politicians, yet, it is paradoxical that they themselves freely indulge in this type of conduct in their personal and social activities. Most people, more often than not, tend to hide their true feelings in order to maintain peace and harmony. However repugnant the conduct of a family member is felt, the others refrain from expressing their true feelings to avoid conflict and clashes.

One outwardly congratulates another on one’s success suppressing the emotion of jealousy felt.

Extremes of hypocrisy could be observed at funerals, weddings, farewell parties, and other political, religious and social functions. Whatever crime or vice a person had committed, he is praised as a virtuous person by speakers at his funeral. Young man who flirts around with girls pushing some of them into pitiable positions, comes to be hailed as an exemplary young man by his friends and relatives when they speak at his wedding. The office chief who does all the villainous things while holding his position, comes to be eulogized by speakers at his farewell party. The politician who indulges in fraud, corruption, abuse of power is hailed as a person of high calibre when he presented as a candidate by the political party one favours.

This type of hypocrisy and duplicity sometimes is inevitable and even desirable in certain situations. It is not practicable or discreet to pour our hearts out in certain situations. Even when we are happy or relieved on hearing of a death of a trouble maker from a relative of the departed, we express sympathy and say something good about that person. People are often seen voicing love and compassion while hatred and jealousy spring in their hearts. Some talk of peace and harmony while stoking up fires of conflict; piously recite religious precepts and break each one of them the next moment; preach temperance while winning and dining in the best of hotels. These are the ways in which people betray their hypocritical ways while expecting their political and religious leaders to be perfect in their conduct. The redeeming thing, however, is their innate respect and yearning for ethical conduct.

The practice of hypocrisy and double standards is clearly evident in the international arena. Nations that ostensibly respect and uphold democratic principles and human rights are selective in their reactions to desecration of these concepts. While condemning such acts perpetrated in countries ruled by leaders they dislike, they ignore or rationalize those occurring in countries under governments and leaders they favour. Unfortunately, even organizations that are expected to hold scales evenly in these matters seem to fall prey to the malady of bias and prejudice.

So the crying need for today is for individuals, organizations and nations to commit themselves to single-minded pursuit of honesty and sincerity, the fundamental virtues enunciated in all great religions. The political, social and religious systems and institutions that obstruct the practice of these virtues have to be examined, and modified or reformed to facilitate and promote people’s ethical conduct in society as a whole. It is no secret that certain systems and institutions established precisely for this purpose have tended to forsake these objectives.