A hypocrite is someone who says one thing and does another. The most common example of a hypocrite is someone who claims to be religious and moral but has no problem with cheating, lying, or stealing.
Hypocrisy is a behavioral pattern in which people hold contradictory beliefs or behaviors. It can also be something as simple as telling your friend that you love them one day but then speaking badly of them behind their back.
The main challenge with dealing with a hypocrite is that they are not willing to admit their wrongdoings. They will do anything to avoid admitting that they are wrong.
Ways to deal with a hypocrite:
It’s important to know what to do when you encounter a hypocrite. It’s important to know how to deal with a person who is pretending to be someone they’re not.
1- Expose their hypocrisy and lies:
Some people are just so hypocritical that they can’t help but be a hypocrite. They’ll say one thing to your face and say or do another behind your back. It’s not easy to deal with a hypocrite, but if you want to get rid of them, you should have the courage to expose them.
It doesn’t have to be a big and massive deal, it could be a calm and logical conversation where you nicely confront them. Talk straight and clearly without dropping hints or insinuating anything. Tell them how they contradicted themselves and tell them to justify and explain why that happened.
If they get on the defensive and turn this into an anger episode, a big storm, or an argument then it doesn’t matter because you would’ve called them out on their hypocrisy. So next time they’ll be more sincere and honest with you, rather than lie and pretend.
2- Provide constructive criticism:
Another way of doing things could be just you pointing out that they did something wrong, then correcting them. You don’t have to be so direct and try to expose their hypocrisy. you can instead kindly say that you understand that they probably didn’t mean it, but that you caught them contradicting themselves or acting differently about the same thing.
It is difficult for some people to accept that they have done something wrong and will continue doing it no matter what. They may choose to be in denial and not see where you’re coming from. However, once you tell them what it is that you have to say and disguise it as “constructive criticism” not to hurt their feelings, they will surely end up thinking about their mistake later on and feel sorry, even if they don’t do it straight away.
In order for them to change, it is important that you give them the opportunity and provide constructive criticism in a way that doesn’t hurt their ego or make them feel like they’re being judged.
3- Don’t give them what they want:
There are ways that you can learn to use to be able to spot a hypocrite if you’re not sure about how you can spot one then be sure to look into those. However, once you’re able to spot a hypocrite then you should be ready to deal with them in a way that can stop them from harming you.
In order to deal with this type of person, it is important to understand what they are trying to get out of you. For example, if they are trying to get sympathy or friendship from you, by acting as if they care about you and as if they love you when you know for a fact all the bad things they say of you behind your back then it may be best for you not to give them the attention.
You can choose instead to fully ignore them whenever you see them and focus on yourself, your own goals, and your aspirations.
4- Never take them seriously:
The best way to deal with a hypocrite is to not take them seriously. They will eventually realize that they are not being taken seriously and will stop trying to get their way.
Take everything they say or do as a joke, especially since you probably know by now that they have a way to cover up their real beliefs and true intentions. That’s why talking to them is absurd and pointless anyway. So may as well make a little anecdote or joke about everything they say and take it all with a grain of salt.
It’s better not to believe them and anything that comes out of their mouth since you know for a fact that they have an agenda or like to lie and make up stories.
In fact, the best way to deal with a hypocrite is by not giving them power over you and your emotions. Don’t let their words get under your skin and don’t let their actions make you feel like less of a person because that will only lead down the path of resentment and anger.
5- Let others know:
The best way to deal with a hypocrite is to confront them about their hypocrisy and ask them why they are doing what they do. If you cannot confront them, you should publicize any information that proves their hypocrisy so that people will not believe what they say anymore.
This way you protect your community and people you love against someone like that. You also protect yourself from being plotted against by them or spoken badly of in front of others that may believe them.
If you make it known with proof and evidence that a hypocrite pretends in some way and do the opposite or becomes friendly to some people and stab them in the back when they’re absent, then you’d be saving yourself and other from their harm.
-Other ways to deal with hypocrites:
If you find yourself in a situation where you are dealing with someone who is being hypocritical, here are some things that you can do:
– Refuse to play their game and don’t engage in the conversation.
– Don’t feel guilty for your actions or words, stick to them, and don’t change your opinion of someone because of the lies they tell you.
– Don’t give them the satisfaction of feeling sorry for them either by expressing regret or guilt.
– If they say something that you know is wrong, don’t let them off the hook.
– Make sure that they know that you know that they’re a hypocrite by using phrases like “You’re contradicting yourself, didn’t you say this instead to this other person”
-You can also confront them with lines like “Didn’t you say this the other day or the other time so how come you changed your mind now”.
-If they spoke ill of someone and act differently in front of them you can be sure they do the same to you and say something like: “How come you’re acting friendly with so and so, didn’t you say this behind their back”.
The bottom line:
A hypocrite is someone who says one thing and does another. It can be someone who says they believe in equality but is racist or sexist. It can also be someone who says they are against bullying but has a history of being an aggressor themselves.
It is difficult to deal with a hypocrite because they may not be willing to admit that they are wrong. It is important to acknowledge the hypocrisy and then move on without any hard feelings. After all, it would be better if they changed their ways before you do anything drastic.
By understanding the hypocrisy and knowing how to respond, we will be better equipped to deal with people who are hypocrites in our lives. If you’re worried about not being able to recognize a hypocrite then remember that there are ways that can help you identify one.