Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Dancing The Way

Hypocrite define as a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, esp. a person whose actions belie stated beliefs. A hypocrite person is one of the most respectable liar alive and his acts are continue to amaze people in century.

If you were to study cases of hypocrisy, I doubt you would find a single person who intended to become a hypocrite. Most people start off with good intentions and along the way their moral values somehow get off track. This is what I call a dancer wearing a mask. The mask may be changed, but once it is broken, your true identity would be revealed. The dancer should know where their limits before stumbling and fall down hard.

The desire to achieves something that is not in our grasp make us sometimes cross the boundary. When people present themselves as moral leaders, they automatically commit themselves to living by a higher standard. Many politicians and leaders branded themselves as hypocrites by failing the most fundamental rule of morality – leadership is made by example.

When I was in high school, Mr. Philips my mathematic teacher, talked to the class about the dangers of smoking. He had good intentions in warning us about smoking, but he compromised his message through a conflicting financial interest.

Because Mr. Philips had previously told the class that he owned stock [through his family] in a tobacco company in Indonesia that had done extremely well for him, he said, “I wouldn’t mind taking a hit on my stock if it meant some of you young folks would not take up the habit.” Because his capital gains were generated by people consuming tobacco, his ethics and stock portfolio were in conflict with each other. How hypocrite is that?

I have a friend who would often say:
Your actions speak so loudly, I can’t hear a word you say.”

Let me ask you something…Do you practice what you preach? Are your actions consistent with your words? Or you just one of the Venetian dancer?