Hypocrisy meaning of the word. Who is a hypocrite and what does it mean - we tell you in simple words

Hypocrisy in ethics

Hypocrisy is a negative moral quality, consisting in the fact that obviously immoral actions (committed for the sake of selfish interests, base motives and in the name of inhumane goals) are attributed with pseudo-moral meaning, lofty motives and humane goals. This concept characterizes a way of action from the point of view of the relationship between its actual social and moral meaning and the meaning that they are trying to give it. Hypocrisy is the opposite of honesty, directness, sincerity - qualities in which a person’s awareness and open expression of the true meaning of his actions is manifested. Often, hypocrisy is understood as slander and negative statements addressed to a subject who is absent at the time of discussion.

Cultural hypocrisy

A Study of Hypocrisy

The feeling of inconvenience, discomfort and anxiety that people experience when their true and declared emotions do not coincide formed the basis for the theory of cognitive dissonance developed by the American psychologist Leon Festinger based on psychological experiments. The book of the same name (“The Theory of Cognitive Dissonance” (Stanford, 1957) brought Festinger international fame. The law derived by Festinger in this book states: two elements of thinking are in a dissonant relationship if one of them implies a contradiction to the other, and this prompts the person to behave in a way that reduces the dissonance. Ways to overcome dissonance have been experimentally studied and described by Festinger in this book and in subsequent works: “Containing and Reinforcing Factors: The Psychology of Under-Reinforcement” (Stanford, 1962), “Conflict, Resolution and Dissonance” (Stanford, 1964).

Attitude to hypocrisy in religions

Christianity

Hypocrisy is a manifestation of people who want to appear in front of people in some form, but feignedly. For example, showing mercy can only be a “performance for the audience,” i.e. a hypocrite person feigns giving alms in order to assign himself the status of a merciful person. (Gospel of Matthew 6:2)

Islam

Hypocrisy refers to the outward manifestation of commitment to Islam and goodness by a person who hides disbelief and evil inside himself, and such a person is called a hypocrite because he demonstrates commitment to Sharia under some circumstances and rejects it under others.

Sources

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Synonyms:

See what “Hypocrite” is in other dictionaries:

Vain saint, saint, Pharisee, hypocrite; fox, actor, performer. Lisa Patrikeevna started wagging her tail. Lenten face (of a prude). Wolf in a sheep's coat (skin). The man in front is blessed, but in the back he is staggering. The palm is on the collar, and the devil is on the neck. .. Wed… Dictionary of synonyms

See Hypocrisy, hypocrite, hypocrite, flattery, flatter, flatterer... Brockhaus Biblical Encyclopedia Dictionary-thesaurus of synonyms of Russian speech

Ah, Ukrainian hypocrite, art. glory hypocrite (Sup.), Czech. licoměřiti to be a hypocrite, Polish. licemierzyc. From *lice and *měnъ (see exchange), i.e. changing faces, two-faced. Closed to měra, měriti (see measure); Wed Bernecker 1, 719, Matzenauer 55; Rozvadovsky ... Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language by Max Vasmer

M. 1. coll. reduction The one who covers up his duplicity, insincerity and maliciousness with feigned virtue. 2. Used as a blasphemous or abusive word. Dictionary Efremova. T. F. Efremova. 2000... Modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language by Efremova

Hypocrite, hypocrites, hypocrite, hypocrites, hypocrite, hypocrites, hypocrite, hypocrites, hypocrite, hypocrites, hypocrite, hypocrites (

Falsehood, falsehood; insincerity, Tartuffism, Jesuitism, duplicity, duality, Jesuitism, flattery, hypocriticism, falsehood, pharisaism, double-dealing, pretense, double-mindedness, hypocrisy, slyness, slyness, doublethink, hypocrisy, comedy... Dictionary of synonyms

HYPOCRISY, hypocrisy, many. no, cf. Quality, property of a hypocrite. Detect hypocrisy. With his characteristic hypocrisy, he deceived us for a long time. || Behavior and actions characteristic of a hypocrite. All his words and actions are complete hypocrisy. Intelligent... ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

Hypocrisy- Hypocrisy ♦ Hypocrisie The desire to pretend to be something you are not and to benefit from it - but not out of vanity, which would be snobbery, but out of calculation and selfish interest. They are hypocrites not in front of those they admire and envy, but... ... Philosophical Dictionary Sponville

See Pretense (Source: “Aphorisms from around the world. Encyclopedia of Wisdom.” www.foxdesign.ru) ... Consolidated encyclopedia of aphorisms

hypocrisy- behavior that covers up insincerity, malicious intent with feigned sincerity, virtue, supposedly good intentions. Dictionary practical psychologist. M.: AST, Harvest. S. Yu. Golovin. 1998 ... Great psychological encyclopedia

Hypocrisy is behavior that covers up insincerity and maliciousness with feigned sincerity and virtue. Contents 1 Hypocrisy in ethics 2 Cultural hypocrisy ... Wikipedia

Hypocrisy- (from hypocrite in the original meaning of “actor”, cf. hypocrite) - insincerity, feigned sincerity and goodwill, often as an inclination that gives the individual hidden pleasure (as in humor, irony); as well as action for the purposes of... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary of Psychology and Pedagogy

hypocrisy- unimaginable hypocrisy, black hypocrisy... Dictionary of Russian Idioms

Hypocrisy- (old glory - two-faced) - a negative moral and ethical quality of a person, expressed in a person’s ability to pretend, to pretend to be kind, decent, trusting and generally moral positive person, committing evil on the sly,... ... Fundamentals of spiritual culture ( encyclopedic dictionary teacher)

hypocrisy- I. HYPOCRISY HYPOCRISY, double-mindedness, duality, duplicity, duplicity, deceit, hypocrisy, insincerity, falsehood, falsehood, hypocrisy, hypocrisy, outdated. hypocriticism, outdated crookedness, bookishness Tartufism HYPOCRITE, Jesuit,... ... Dictionary-thesaurus of synonyms of Russian speech

Books

The fourth vertebra, Martti Larni. This edition includes the feuilleton novel “The Fourth Vertebrae”, the satirical novel “The Beautiful Pig Farm”, as well as numerous stories and feuilletons. "The Fourth Vertebra" is a caustic satire...
Don Juan (audiobook MP3), Jean Baptiste Moliere. In the era of the triumph of antisystems, when the world is turned upside down, when evil becomes good and good becomes evil, when positive selection is replaced by negative, and lies kill the most...

Sometimes we misperceive the people around us and try our best to take care of them, although we do not receive the same in return. There are times when we see traits that are not actually present in people, or we hope for more than they can give us. Life is a series of moments and incidents, mistakes, trials and failures.

Every time we gain new experience or underestimate other people and their actions, we learn a lesson from this situation. But sometimes it is very difficult to understand what is happening when you are in this situation. Of course, we can try to look for signs, but sometimes it is quite difficult. So try to pay attention to patterns of behavior and identify people who may not be as good as they appear to be. There will always be hypocrites in our lives, but you should try to get rid of them.

They want to seem caring, but...

Soon their personal interests emerge, and it becomes quite obvious what exactly such people want. Hypocrites are not your friends. They pursue their own goals and are not interested in you as a person. Such “friends” show interest in you only to gain your trust, and then identify their own needs, wanting something specific from you.

Be careful with such people, but trust your intuition! Some people only have their own agenda, but that doesn't mean you can't be open to making new friends. You may trust the wrong people from time to time. But that speaks poorly of them, not of you. Just stop this communication as quickly as possible when it becomes obvious that they are not truly interested in you.

They seem defenseless, but...

Hypocrites always want your sympathy and compassion, and thus manipulate you. And before you know it, they will ask you to sacrifice your needs to help them. These people know how to take away, but give nothing in return. They may offer you some semblance of friendship, but it will not be genuine. You should be wary that such people will not accept your advice. Initially, they will seem very appreciative of what you have to say, but you will soon realize that hypocrites keep repeating the same negative behavior patterns. And they will want you to do it with them.

They keep saying what's good for you even though...

You have already told them many times that you know what is good and what is bad for you. But they don't really care about what you need or want. They would like to have control because they believe that doing so will make them feel better. They may say they are listening to you when in fact they are not. This is a fast track to a bad relationship. No one knows better than you what you really need. Friends are there to support and discuss your options, not to decide what's best for you.

They seem interested in you, but...

They are only around from time to time, and only when they need it. Other times you may never find them. In other words, they are the ones who choose when to see or communicate with you, and you have no control over what happens. When you think rationally about this type of friendship, you will realize that this is not the kind of person who will care about you. He doesn't need to be in this situation. Most likely, he will even feel bad in it.
And true friends should always make you feel better, not worse. It's really very simple. So get rid of the haters and surround yourself with friends who make you smile. This may be quite difficult to do. But when you do, hold on to them tighter. Such people will remain your friends for life.

IN modern language There are many words that originally had a different meaning. And few people remember what meaning people put into this or that statement before. In this section we will look at who a hypocrite is in the modern sense, and what this word meant in earlier times.

The word for hypocrisy first appeared in Ancient Rome. This was the name given to actors who performed wearing masks depicting joyful, sad or angry grimaces. It was implied that such a person was able to “change his face” depending on the circumstances.

In Russian, in addition to the word “hypocrite,” which literally means “to try on faces,” another form was also used in relation to actors - “lycerei.” This name reflected the ability to portray the necessary emotions, namely, “make a face” depending on the circumstances.

A slightly different meaning began to be put into this word during the Middle Ages. It is from this time that the famous painting dates back to - it depicts hypocrisy in the form of a poorly dressed woman begging for alms. Despite the fact that her facial expression is humble and benign, wolf paws are visible from under her skirt.

Speaking in simple words, we can conclude that at that distant time original meaning the words have already undergone changes, and this is how they called people who are capable of pretending and deceiving, pursuing their own, not at all good, goals. In Russian, there is another definition for such individuals, often used among the people - “a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”

In the modern sense, the word “hypocrite” is a characteristic of an insincere person who is capable of flattery and fawning in order to make the best impression.

Who is a hypocrite, we tell you in simple words

Nowadays, the answer to the question of what “hypocrite” means is more likely to be given by professional psychologist, rather than a philologist. This quality is considered a negative personality trait, and the reasons for the deficiency lie in emotional state And psychological characteristics person.

Such people try to appear better than they are. Often, under the mask of a benevolent and friendly person, pettiness, envy and anger are hidden. Such a person can smile and give compliments to his interlocutor, and then “throw mud” and be mean for his own benefit. For him there are no special moral restrictions; the hypocrite is confident that all means are good to achieve the goal, and does not disdain slander, treachery and other unseemly acts.

It is easy for such people to promise to do something for another person, but at the last moment refuse him assistance. At the same time, he will always invent an excuse for himself, hiding behind “slogans” and lofty motives.

Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to recognize a hypocrite right away. The true essence of such people is hidden behind imaginary kindness and nobility.

Understanding what they really represent comes, in most cases, after the hypocrite has betrayed trust and caused bitter disappointment.

Actions that characterize hypocrisy in a person

It is quite difficult to understand at first glance that you have met a hypocritical person along the way, but it is still possible.

There are characteristic features of this type of personality:

Deceit. Such people regularly get caught cheating, both in serious matters and in small things.
Unwillingness to keep one's word. A hypocrite is capable of making promises left and right, without having the intention of fulfilling them.
Perfidy. In another way, such actions can be called betrayal, when a person deliberately deceives others.
Ingratiation. Such people try to please those who are stronger than them or occupy a higher position. They demonstrate in every possible way respect to the point of worship for their superiors and other “significant” people.
Love of gossip. In conversation, hypocrites often condemn others, and do this only behind their backs, do not skimp on criticism and are rarely shy in their expressions.

You can suspect a hypocrite in almost stranger, it’s often the little things that give them away.

As a rule, such individuals have an unnatural smile, take long pauses in conversation and often stammer, as if choosing the most convenient expressions.

How to get rid of a negative character trait

If a person is able to notice his shortcomings and is ready to fight them, he first needs to figure out the reasons.

As for hypocrisy, they can be like this:

Fear is when a person is afraid to be himself and is forced to pretend.
The desire to appear better, often due to complexes.
Lack of foundations of life when they have not yet been formed own views for life, and the person hides it under a mask.

Once you understand the reasons, it will be much easier to deal with negative trait character.

To emerge victorious, you must adhere to the following rules:

admit the problem and realize your shortcoming;
understand that there is no shame in being yourself, every person is unique and has the right to it;
work on improving self-esteem;
monitor your actions and try not to let words diverge from deeds;
be honest with yourself when assessing your own actions.

Any psychologist will tell you that the most precious victory is victory over yourself, and you should not expect that it will be easy to cope with a shortcoming. But if you set a goal and move in the right direction, sooner or later your efforts will be crowned with success.

Attitude towards hypocrisy in religion

Hypocrisy and duplicity are condemned not only by people, but also by religions. And if most disciplines do not rank such a trait as such among mortal sins, then actions that are characteristic of hypocrites can be found in this list. These include, for the most part, treachery and betrayal, and the hypocrite betrays not only others, but also betrays his own soul.

Orthodoxy equates hypocrites with liars, and in Islam such behavior is tantamount to adultery.

Among the Jews, actions committed with evil intent and for one’s own benefit are considered a terrible sin. A person who has done such a thing is subject to anathema, that is, excommunication from prayers and religious rituals.

In conclusion, we can say that hypocrisy is unacceptable not only for believers. People who live by deception and lies will not be able to take their rightful place in society and earn the respect of others. They will not “get accustomed” to any team and are unlikely to make friends.

Hypocrisy- a negative moral quality, consisting in the fact that obviously immoral actions (committed for the sake of selfish interests, base motives and in the name of inhumane goals) are attributed to pseudo-moral meaning, lofty motives and humane goals.

Hypocrisy in ethics

According to Igor Kon, hypocrisy is “a negative moral quality, consisting in the fact that obviously immoral actions (committed for the sake of selfish interests) are attributed with pseudo-moral meaning, lofty motives and humane goals. This concept characterizes a way of action from the point of view of the relationship between its actual social and moral meaning and the meaning that they are trying to give it. Hypocrisy is the opposite of honesty and sincerity - qualities in which a person’s awareness and open expression of the true meaning of his actions is manifested.”

Cultural hypocrisy

According to Sigmund Freud, cultural hypocrisy is a special condition maintained by society due to its inherent feelings of insecurity and the need to protect its obvious lability by prohibiting criticism and discussion. It arises due to the fact that society demands the implementation of a high ideal of morality from each of its members, without caring how difficult it is. At the same time, it is not so rich and organized that it can reward everyone to the extent of their refusal to satisfy their instincts. So it leaves it to the individual himself to decide how he can obtain sufficient compensation for the sacrifice made in order to save peace of mind. In general, he is forced to live psychologically beyond his capabilities, because unsatisfied drives make him feel the demands of culture as constant oppression.

A Study of Hypocrisy

The feeling of inconvenience, discomfort and anxiety that people experience when their true and declared emotions do not coincide formed the basis for the theory of cognitive dissonance developed by the American psychologist Leon Festinger on the basis of psychological experiments. The book of the same name (“The Theory of Cognitive Dissonance” (Stanford, 1957) brought Festinger international fame. The law derived by Festinger in this book states: two elements of thinking are in a dissonant relationship if one of them implies a contradiction to the other, and this prompts the person to behave in a way that reduces the dissonance. Ways to overcome dissonance have been experimentally studied and described by Festinger in this book and in subsequent works: “Containing and Reinforcing Factors: The Psychology of Under-Reinforcement” (Stanford, 1962), “Conflict, Resolution and Dissonance” (Stanford, 1964).

Attitude to hypocrisy in religions

Christianity

Hypocrisy is the sin of double-mindedness, a spiritual illness of the human soul, subject to confession in the sacrament of confession, which helps the human soul to receive healing from the Lord. “Hypocrisy is based on lies, and the father of lies is the devil. The life of a hypocrite cannot be a life in God; it is always controlled by an evil inclination. A kingdom cannot stand if it is divided within itself” (see Matt. 12:25). A hypocritical, double-minded person lives two lives. One of them is visible to others, the other is internal, hidden. In the New Testament, a hypocrite is considered: 1. A person who does something with the intention that people will see it. (See Matthew 6:1)

Islam

Main article: Munafik

In Islam, hypocrites are referred to by the term munafik, and hypocrisy - nifak. Munafik outwardly shows himself to be a devout Muslim, but is not a believer. The first mention of hypocrites was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad at the very end of the Meccan period of his life. The signs of hypocrites are manifested either in beliefs or in actions.

Islam considers hypocrisy a worse sin than unbelief. According to the Koran, after death, hypocrites will forever remain in the lowest (most painful) level of hell. Wandering between faith and unbelief, hypocrites engage in intrigue and create turmoil around themselves. They can perform actions that comply with Sharia, but they do it for show. Hypocrites have difficulty getting up to pray and take false oaths, trying to turn others away from religion. They spread false rumors among believers; they laugh at the signs of Allah; act only in accordance with their personal interests; in battle they run away from enemies, and in case of victory they try to get their share of the spoils of war.

Hypocrisy in actions occurs when there is some similarity between people’s actions and the actions of hypocrites. At the same time, it cannot be argued that hypocrisy has penetrated the beliefs of such people. According to tradition, the Prophet Muhammad said: “There are three signs of a person’s hypocrisy: when talking to someone, he lies, he does not keep his promises, and he does not keep intact what other people have entrusted to him.” The likelihood that hypocrisy in some actions can become a conviction for the people who commit them is high. A Muslim who feels signs of this type of hypocrisy needs to repent and urgently take measures to correct himself.