hypocrisy

[Eran of Arcadia]

Killing toddlers is very very bad. Lying about it is bad but only a little. Being a hypocrite is in my view not so bad as doing the thing that makes you a hypocrite in the first place.

 

[toh6wy]

Even if the hypocrite's moral convictions continue to fail to motivate him, at least his discussions with others will push those others in the right direction. Whereas the consistent guy not only does wrong himself, but fails to uphold the beneficial social consensus against toddler-killing. Now, hopefully, society is strong enough to shrug that bit of bad influence off. But that just reflects the bizarreness of the example. In general, it's worse to do bad things and deny they're bad (chutzpah: the Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling strategy), than to do them but admit they're bad. There are worse things than hypocrisy.

But it's not just because of that (although I do agree that what you wrote contributes as well). Even if the hypocrite didn't preach against killing toddlers, and all that separated him from the consistent guy was that he felt ashamed and regretful about his actions, I would still think of him as better. At least he's got some sense of decency left in him. The consistent guy, on the other hand, thinks nothing of killing a toddler, or perhaps even enjoys it -- ignoring what society should have permanently ingrained in him long ago, not to mention any natural internal recoiling from harming the young of one's own species.

Thanks (again) for the kind words, BTW.