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You’ve likely seen examples of hypocrisy in the business world at one point or another. Maybe it’s a company that champions sustainability but doesn’t really have sustainable practices at its factories. Perhaps it’s an influential business person who encourages people in the community to do one thing, but news breaks that they do the opposite.
Our usual tendency, I’ve observed, is to lambast those whose hypocrisy comes to light, brushing them off and deeming their work as invalid. But barring egregious situations, I urge us not to do so.
Hypocrisy Is Everywhere
Arguably, hypocrisy is everywhere. It’s inescapable and permeates the business world. In the words of writer and journalist Ambrose Bierce, “Politeness, n: The most acceptable hypocrisy.” Even the very business formalities we practice, such as putting on a smile when we’re sad and not giving our true thoughts in meetings, are forms of hypocrisy.
Some other examples of hypocrisy? Employers who say that they value work-life balance but give employees a hard time for wanting to take time off, and companies that champion diversity but don’t actually practice it as they hire. On a broader level, think of terms that have become popular in business in recent years. For instance, many companies claim to value “innovation,” but if presented with an employee who actually thinks outside the box and is ready to take risks, how many companies would truly embrace that employee? My guess is very few. Many companies say that “flexibility” is key, but their leaders are actually quite rigid in their thinking. Many companies emphasize the importance of “communication,” but dig deeper, and you’ll see that people on the team don’t really talk to each other. Some hypocrisies in business amount to white lies that don’t cause real harm. But some amount to huge lies that can cause serious damage or may ignite a series of events that end in disaster.
On Some Level, We’re All Hypocritical
In fact, on some level, we’re all hypocritical — myself included. We tend to hold others to standards that we give ourselves a pass on.
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Why do we do so? I believe it’s so we can survive in the business world. People, in my view, reinforce their personal hypocrisy out of self-preservation. It’s the convenient thing to do. No one wants chaos. For example, if a company leader donates money to environmental nonprofits yet has unsustainable business practices and drives a car that guzzles gas, it’s not in their best interest to bring those things to light. If the wrong person learns and publicizes that information, it could put that leader’s career and reputation at risk. We’re afraid of being honest with ourselves and others because, frankly, we have reason to be afraid. People can be quick to point fingers, especially in business, and no one wants to be at the center of controversy.
We Must Change How We React to Hypocrisy in Ourselves and Others
My argument isn’t that hypocrisy is a good thing we must embrace. Hypocrisy between what someone stands for and how they live is, in my view, incredibly damaging on a personal and societal level. And some hypocrisies are appalling and should be strongly called out and condemned.
Rather, what I’m saying is that we must acknowledge that hypocrisy exists all around us and not jump to chastise and blame someone every time we encounter an example of it. If we rush to judge and shame someone each time we see hypocrisy, we risk hindering progress in solving some of our biggest problems. That might sound counterintuitive, but hear me out: Let’s return to an earlier example I shared, the one about the company leader who donates money to environmental nonprofits yet has unsustainable business practices and drives a car that guzzles gas. Imagine if that information became public, and the community started bashing him. That leader might shrug and say, “What’s the point?” — and then stop donating because they feel that their other actions negate the help they’ve given in that space. That would be unfortunate because everyone is better off when that leader donates money. Instead of chastising people in such situations, we should take the opportunity to guide them and educate them. For instance, instead of bashing the leader, people could reach out and offer ideas on how to run a more sustainable business.
I’ve previously written about how we can all do just one small thing to start positively impacting the world. That one small thing we do might not perfectly align with the rest of who we are. But at the end of the day, we’re doing the best we can. Let’s all be more empathetic to each other along the way.
