Hypocrites who cry 'hypocrisy!'

[firecat88]

I'm very dangerously close to leaving the SB&H group. It's pissing me off a lot lately. There's a lot of snarly rage going on from one of the members about how Planned Parenthood is having a speaker at this year's SBAA conference and how we should all boycott the SBAA entirely because of it. Apparently, if we don't agree with her, we're all supporting a group that murders babies. I personally don't support abortion myself unless it's for a very good reason (i.e. the mother's health is at stake, rape, incest), but, seriously, this chick is biting people's heads off for not agreeing with her.

And this is where the title of this thread comes in. One of the other members agrees with her, which is fine. But she goes after people for not agreeing...while griping about how people are attacking her about having her own opinion. This sort of mentality drives me nuts. So it's perfectly ok for you to try to cram your opinion down their throats, but if they don't agree with you, they're wrong and evil and hypocrites? Whut? O.o

[Nekojin]

Everyone's hypocritical to one degree or another, many many times throughout their lifetime. It's impossible to avoid it - it's baked into our software, and in many cases simply holding a nuanced position on a complex matter will have a bit of hypocrisy inherent in it. The best we can do is try to be aware of when we're being hypocritical, and change our ways when we spot it.

The only way to avoid being hypocritical at all is to take simple, iron-clad, unwavering positions on everything... and we all know how likely homo sapiens is to manage that.

[Peppergirl]

Not to mention that Planned Parenthood is also involved in PREVENTING pregancy, which would then (in a perfect world) reduce the need for abortions.

I hate this shit.

Regardless of how one feels about abortion, if you're not against contraception - why be against the one organization who is the biggest provider of it?

/end threadhack

Sorry - I know the point is hypocrisy and I went off on a tangent...it just makes my blood boil.

[HYHYBT]

The only way to avoid being hypocritical at all is to take simple, iron-clad, unwavering positions on everything... and we all know how likely homo sapiens is to manage that.

Many people are entirely TOO good at that, yet they still manage to be hypocritical. If anything, I'd say that black-and-white thinking is *more* likely to lead to hypocrisy than an "it's complicated" approach. (It's tempting to *use* complications as an excuse when you're caught being hypocritical, but that's not the same as the other way around.)

[Rageaholic]

Many people are entirely TOO good at that, yet they still manage to be hypocritical. If anything, I'd say that black-and-white thinking is *more* likely to lead to hypocrisy than an "it's complicated" approach. (It's tempting to *use* complications as an excuse when you're caught being hypocritical, but that's not the same as the other way around.)

That's all too true. It's better to look at each situation individually than to make one size fits all solutions.

In my experience, people who accuse others of being hypocritical are on the losing side of a debate and are trying to dig up what they can on the opposing side. If they can find a contradiction in your arguement, it will put you back on the defensive. Politics 101.

Not that it's not a valid tactic to point out contradictions, but I think the contradiction should be relevent. Then again, it's hard because no one can be 100% objective no matter how much they pride themselves in it.

[HYHYBT]

In my experience, people who accuse others of being hypocritical are on the losing side of a debate and are trying to dig up what they can on the opposing side. If they can find a contradiction in your arguement, it will put you back on the defensive. Politics 101.

Of course, if the reason you're "losing" the argument is that the other person is switching between contradictory positions depending on which most conveniently works against what you just said...

[siead_lietrathua]

its almost fun to be called a hypocrite by people also acting as such.
"why yes sir, i AM a hypocrite. that's how i spotted you. we can sense our own kind"*creepy hand gestures*

hypocracy is one of those things that will never go away. like sarcasm. or tacky shoes. might as well get a laugh or two out of it. *shrug*