Q & A

Q: Are you a hypocrite?

A: Absolutely.

The world is full of hypocrites. Basically, a hypocrite is someone who doesn't practice what he preaches. People love to point out the hypocrisy such as Al Gore being an energy hog, or Bono being a tax dodger. Actually, I am one of those people. But hypocrite or not, you must consider what they say on its own merits. To do anything else is to fall into the ad hominem fallacy.

The best advice I ever got in my life came from a hypocrite. My old man is a lifelong smoker. But when I was a kid, he told me to never ever pick up a cigarette. He told me this as he lit one up. He said he had a lot of regret over starting, and he wanted to spare me having the same regret. Though my dad was a smoker, I chose not to be a smoker. It was good advice even if it came from a hypocrite. I am grateful for his wisdom.

For me, I don't like to preach. I think you should live your life any way you please as long as it doesn't hurt others. I call this benign indifference. There are certain ways that I think yield better results. Not smoking is one of those things. But I preach less than give the facts. People can make their own choices.

The big issue with hypocrisy comes from the fact that we know what to do but don't do it. We struggle with bad habits. This is when we become hypocrites. This is the problem my old man had with those cigarettes. His advice was much bigger than not smoking. His point was that habits are difficult things, and it is easier to not start a bad habit than to try and correct it later. The result is that I eschew all drugs and alcohol and gambling. Habit wise, my only real addiction is to crap Southern food loaded with fat. Plus, I am a slob when it comes to housekeeping because I immerse myself in reading and writing.

A habit is like a large stone. It is difficult to move, but once you move it, it tends to stay where you left it. Reading Leo Babauta, you learn this reality. If you focus on one habit at a time, you can change them, and they will stay that way. You can change your life. The problem is trying to change everything at once. The result is good intentions leading to nowhere.

For me, I have the same four habit changes. The first is to eat healthy. The second is to get daily exercise. The third is to be neat, clean, and organized in all my affairs. The fourth is to work seven days a week. I am a hypocrite because my progress in these areas is not where I want it to be. But I never preach to others about it. People don't need knowledge or motivation. They need the humility it takes to focus on one thing at a time instead of trying to change it all at once. Read Babauta on this. That cat knows what he is talking about.

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