We Agree but we do not Act

Everyone would, probably, agree that Hypocrisy in any form is no good.

However, because the moral failings of various leaders (political or religious) allow the average person to justify his / her own moral inequalities, the perceived view of Hypocrisy tends to be rather positive. This is particularly true for those who call themselves modern / advanced. They seem to love it when authority figures get caught with their pants down. They tend to think that their own Hypocrisy is genuine.

Hypocrites Command Love?

Hypocrite is generally loved by people and has a large social circle, thanks to his / her double-faceted character. A Hypocrite is a friend / well wisher / sympathiser by word of mouth while actually he / she is not.
A principled person may take some time to make up his / her mind before giving out a promise because he / she has determination to fulfil the promise. However, in time of need a spontaneous promise counts a lot. This is what is readily provided by a Hypocrite because he / she has no intention of fulfilling it. That is enough to trap the needy. Isn't it?
Blaming others is only a false refuge. One has to look in to own person for the cause and try to remove that. A renowned philosopher and poet Dr Iqbal (who was awarded Ph. D. by a high class university in Germany before World War-II) wrote:

Amul say zindagi bunti hey junnat bhi jahunnum bhi

Yeh khaki apni fitrat main na noori hey na naari hey

Meaning something like:

It is action (behaviour) of a person that makes life heaven or hell

Human body in itself is neither heavenly nor Hell-worthy

Ref: Comment on Post September 25, 2004 At 7:37 AM

Mr Anonymous: What you have expressed is a reaction to what has been going on in spite of your wishing otherwise. Be sure that Hypocrisy and deceit are not in the DNA. The creator kept good attributes in the DNA but, Satan being around, beings evil in fragrant and colourful wrapper to the human who, being attracted by lust, instills the evil into his heart. The fairness, love, respect, sincerity present in the DNA gets bogged down temporarily but does not die. Whenever these human value get encouragement they play their part to guide the human being.

Your comment dated 9/26/2004 10:42 AM

Anonymous: Your views smell of purity which is very rare in the so
called developed / civilized society of today. Your story has made
me recall all what has been haunting me for the past year and a
half, and forced me to start my blog. Study of past history reveals
that there was much less Hypocrisy some centuries back. Singing the
song of humanity, we headed to the path of development and, in
stead, developed beastly qualities of human being. In one way you are luckier than me that you have friends who share
your views / feelings. You are right in saying:

We can only survive together if we cling together as

"One big human family" and respect one another.

The Trap

When somebody makes a claim “I have fear of Lord in my heart or I love humanity. You can trust me and you will find me your supporter in business and problems”. Because the claim is made in public, people believe it to be true while generally people making big claims do not actually mean it.

One of the main reasons people have double standards is that they desire to have the best of both worlds. They go to church / Mosque and as soon as they come out, they go back to living their “regular” lives ignoring what they learnt or for what they prayed in the Church / Mosque. They, perhaps, think that God only knows what they tell him. "Do the right thing" in no way means to do which best suits our lustful desires.

Victims of Hypocrisy, normally, try to use some form of rationalization to justify their actions. Study of nature of present-day people’s moral blunders proves that hardly any body is immune from stumbling from a lofty perch.

A lack of respect for the seducing nature of sin has led many to live Hypocritical lives.

In our heart of hearts, we know fully well that something is morally wrong with our actions, but we do it anyway because it feels good or is convenient.

Anonymous Comment on Post of September 20, 2004

You are right, a Hypocrite can not be taken as a friend. In fact a Hypocrite is the worst enemy becuase he /she does enmity in disguise of a friend. As to your experience, nearly every person experiences Hypocrisy in his / her life, some have trivial and some harsh. I am trying to expose this venomous behaviour slowly and step by step. Please spare some time to go through my previous posts and I will like guidance from the friends at large. I invite all those who suffered Hypocrisy to join me to purge the global society from this fatal epidemic.

More About Hypocrisy

As already indicated: Hypocrisy is the pretension to qualities which one does not possess, or, more cognately the putting forward of a false appearance of virtue or religion. Malice of Hypocrisy is identical with that of lying; in both cases there is discordance between what a man has in his mind and the simultaneous manifestation of himself.

However, mere concealment of one's own sin, unless one be interrogated by legitimate authority, should not be taken as Hypocrisy. We must carefully differentiate its two elements: the want of goodness, and the pretence of having it. If a person be so minded as definitely to intend both things, it is of course obvious that he is guilty of Hypocrisy.

Cognizance must be taken of the motive which prompts the involved person to adopt his hypocritical bearing. If the end he has in view be such as to be incompatible with the love of one's friend or neighbour, for example, if his purpose were thus to spread abroad false doctrine more unimpededly and more thoroughly, he must clearly be considered to have committed Hypocrisy.

Hypocrisy in American / British of Pakistani Origin

The path that I am trying my friends at large to follow, given the present environment, is difficult.

In the words of a poet, (late) Mustafa Zaidi:

In he pathron pay chal kay Aa sko to aao.
Meray ger kay rastay main koyee kehkshan nahin hai.

Translation is something like:

If you can come walking on the stony path, you are welcome.
There is no Galaxy in the way to my house.

My experience of Pakistanis who have settled abroad, especially in USA / UK, is that in an effort to exhibit their advancement, they try to belittle Pakistan / Pakistanis while from inside they are like the ones whom they try to belittle.

A young lady, who lived and studied in USA, talks of her experience at her blog.

Here are relevant excerpts.

Children raised outside Pakistan somehow consider themselves superior to Pakistanis.

Parents, instead of giving them better knowledge and understanding of their culture, keep talking about the flaws prevalent in only about 5 % of our society.

Somehow there exists this custom that overseas Pakistanis like to import brides and grooms for their kids from Pakistan; primarily because deep inside they feel that someone raised in Pakistan will be much better than the locals...

I am not saying that this is true for all cases, but during my frequent trips to America since 1992 I have seen all types of Pakistani families there and trust me 99% of Pakistani Americans are not what they say they are.

Signs of a Hypocrite

He tells lies confidently.

When he is trusted, he betrays.

If you keep something as a trust with him, he will not return it

In quarrel, he behaves in an imprudent / evil / insulting manner

Enemy Better than Hypocrite

Sorry for absence of few days. Have been busy on some other project.

There is marked difference between Hypocrisy and Enmity.

Hypocrite is an enemy under the garb of a friend or well-wisher.

One can know an enemy with little or more effort but it is very difficult (some times impossible) to detect a Hypocrite.

Thus, Hypocrite is much more dangerous person than enemy.

A Monument to Hypocrisy

I have been a reader of Edward Said and consider him a superb journalist / writer. Today, while surfing, I, by chance, opened “Al-Ahram Weekly On-line, 13 - 19 February 2003” which had Edward Said’s article which some how I had missed. But it was right in time for me. Only this link is good for today. So here it is : “Every one of us must raise our voices, and march in protest, now and again and again”, writes Edward Said. To read this article click on Edward Said written in green.

Practical Aspects of Hypocrisy

Before I go in to practical side of Hypocrisy, let me clear that, a person forced to do something against his / her belief and wish, should not be taken as hypocrite.

From the practical aspect, hypocrisy may be divided in to following categories.

In which the Hypocrite tries to:
a) gain monetary benefit or reputation and nobody loses.
b) gain at the cost of another who deserved it.
c) gain good reputation by defaming one or more persons.
d) pretend helping a person or administering justice but actually not doing so.
e) behave as faithful for personal gain only.
f) defame other(s) only out of vindictiveness.
g) gain only momentary pleasure in making fool of other (s)

My experiences of Hypocrisy

During my 44 years of life after graduation, I came across innumerable cases of hypocrisy having been myself a target in over a dozen cases. I will record here only four different types of hypocrisy in which I was made a target.

During early 1963, when I was a teacher in a Polytechnic Institute, on reaching the Institute when I had walked by the block that housed Principal’s office, a colleague, Mr “M”, met me and asked, “Are you coming from Principal’s office ?” I said no and proceeded to my department. After about 25 minutes a friend came to my office and said, “Oh, you are here ! I thought that you had not come today.” On knowing that I came early morning, he informed me that, about 20 minutes back, when he was with the principal, Mr “M” entered Principal’s office and said, “I have been looking for Mr Bhopal but he is not traceable. Is he on leave today ?”

In May, 1963, I joined an organization comprising many factories as Assistant Works Manager. A month after joining, a colleague, Mr “K” (who was in other nearby factory) telephoned and invited me on a cup of tea in his office. I said that we should do such things after and not during working hours. He insisted and said that he had already talked to my boss on telephone and taken permission and that he had also ordered snacks for me, and that my not going to him would be too bad. Believing in him, I went to his factory. He made me sit in his office and went out saying that he would be back in a few minutes.
On reaching my factory, my boss informed me that Mr ‘K’ had talked to him about ten minutes back and said that he had been searching for me for over half an hour because he had to give an urgent message but had failed to find me.

An engineer Mr “B” who joined the organization in 1964, was to be appointed Assistant Manager after 2 years training, but was not appointed even after 3 years. On his request, I lobbied for him and he was appointed Assistant Manager. We became a friends. In 1973, some materials were stolen from the factory and Mr “B”, was arrested without any proof. In an effort to get him released, I put my future at stake. Fortunately, I succeeded in getting him released. After release Mr “B” said to me, “What you have done for me, perhaps, I would have not been able to do for you under such circumstances. I shall remain grateful to you all my life.” Only two years later that very Mr “B”, for his personal benefits, gave incorrect self-manufactured adverse reports against me to the management of the organization.

In the organization which I served from May, 1963 to August, 2004, confidential report on every officer was written every year by his senior officer. First page of this report, containing profile of the officer, had to be filled in by the officer himself and then handed over to his superior officer. Having learned German language, I wrote that I could speak German in 1970’s report. My senior officer, “Mr G” called me and directed me to delete that because according to his standard speaking meant speaking very fluently. Later, “Mr G” called “Mr A” an officer junior to me. On return “Mr A” informed me that “Mr G” had asked him to write in the form for Annual Report that he (Mr A) could read write and speak German. (“Mr A” did not know even a word of German language) Later, on the basis of knowing German language well, “Mr A” was posted to the Embassy in Germany as Technical Attache while, previously, my name was on record for that posting.

Base or Root of Hypocrisy

Hypocrisy takes its root from (or the base of Hypocrisy is) “telling lie” (not telling the truth or distorting the truth). I do not contribute to the idea given by few people that some types of hypocrites are honest. This way, even criminals are honest. For example, thieves distribute the booty among themselves honestly. Should we call them honest? On the same analogy, they can say that some of the liars are honest. There is no doubt about the fact that a liar does not always tell lies; he also speaks truth but lies to gain some self benefit. In my opinion, being truthful is a prerequisite to being honest. Coming back to the root / base of Hypocrisy, “telling lies”, it so happens that, for some personal gain, a person hides the facts or coins a lie while acting as a truthful / honest / trustworthy person, thus, commits hypocrisy and becomes a liar at the same time. Hence, hypocrisy always includes a lie or when there is no lie, there is no hypocrisy. (Please exclude stage performers and movie actors out of it because I do not want to get involved in unending controversy.)

Meaning of “Hypocrisy”:

One rule for own self and another rule for others.

The claim to or pretense of having higher standards or admirable principles, beliefs, or feelings than is the case.

When someone pretends to believe something that they do not really believe or that is the opposite of what they do or say at another time.

A feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not; especially: the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion.