quotations about hypocrisy
Saint abroad, and a devil at home.
JOHN BUNYAN
Pilgrims Progress
Hypocrisy is a clear outcropping of fear. Thus fear pushes the person on and holds him further back: making panic and projection almost sensible reactions.
COLIN FLETCHER
The Person in the Sight of Sociology
Hypocrisy is a permission slip to our morals, telling them to take a holiday.
F. H. BUCKLEY
The Morality of Laughter
The wolf in sheep's clothing is a fitting emblem of the hypocrite. Every virtuous man would rather meet an open foe than a pretended friend who is a traitor at heart. Among all things and persons to be despised, what is more base or vile than the pretender?
HENRY F. KLETZING & ELMER L. KLETZING
"Hypocrisy", Traits of Character Illustrated in Bible Light
The hypocrite sounds a trumpet before his alms, and chooses the corner of the streets for his prayers. To him virtue in the dark is almost a vice, he can never detect any beauty in virtue, unless she has a thousand eyes to look upon her, and then she is something indeed.
CHARLES H. SPURGEON
The Spurgeon Series: 1859 & 1860
Those who parade piety as a purpose and an aim mostly turn into hypocrites.
JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE
Maxims and Reflections
The hypocrite has not a living hope, but a lying hope, and a dying hope.
LEIGHTON
attributed, Illustrative Gatherings for Preachers and Teachers
A man is a hypocrite only when he affects to take a delight in what he does not feel, not because he takes a perverse delight in opposite things.
WILLIAM HAZLITT
Characteristics
Too oft is a smile
But the hypocrite's wile,
To mask detestation, or fear;
Give me the soft sigh,
Whilst the soul-telling eye
Is dimm'd, for a time, with a Tear.
LORD BYRON
"The Tear", Poetical Works
The avowed infidel, stands open to view, as he is, and if you choose you can shun him: But a hypocrite is like a rock covered over with smooth water, which sweeps the unsuspicious mariner to destruction, at a moment when he apprehends no danger; like a false friend, who flatters you with smiles and fair professions, while he meditates your ruin; like a snake in the grass, which darts its deadly poison, before it is heeded; like a pirate, who approaches the defenseless merchantman, under a friendly, or "patriot" flag, or perhaps draws him within the reach of his guns, by false signals of distress, and then commits plunder and murder; or like a swindler, who gains possession of the public, or individual's confidence and property, by false and deceitful representations, and management, and then endeavors to evade pursuit, or otherwise to keep them from repossessing their property.
ABLE BREWSTER
Free Man's Companion
Hypocrisy is folly; for it is much easier, safer, and pleasanter to be the thing which a man seems to appear, than to keep up the appearance of being what he is not.
LORD BURLEIGH
attributed, Day's Collacon
To condemn your sin in another is hypocrisy. Not to condemn is to reserve your right to sin.
JAMES RICHARDSON
Vectors: Aphorisms and Ten Second Essays
When he fasts he assumes a sorrowful air, and a disfigured face; and is grieved for sin as much as the bulrush when it hangs the head. When he is in religious company, he talks of his experience, the plagues of his heart, and complains of the great decay of religion in the day.--He is a most uncharitable censurer of others, while he practices far greater villainies himself.
WILLIAM MCEWEN
"The Character of a Hypocrite", Select Essays Doctrinal & Practical on a Variety of the Most Important and Interesting Subjects in Divinity
Hypocrisy is a proud desire to appear better than you are. Be thoroughly humbled and vile in your own eyes, and hypocrisy is done.
RICHARD BAXTER
Christian Ethics
Of what benefit is it to say our prayers regularly, go to church, receive the sacraments, and maybe go to confessions too; ay, feast the priest, and give alms to the poor, and yet lie, swear, curse, be drunk, covetous, unclean, proud, revengeful, vain and idle at the same time?
WILLIAM PENN
Some Fruits of Solitude
There is not one word of final hope for a hypocrite, in the whole history of divine revelation: But on the contrary, the severest denunciations are recorded against them.
ABLE BREWSTER
Free Man's Companion
Trust him with none of thy individualities who is, or pretends to be, two things at once.
JOHANN CASPAR LAVATER
Aphorisms on Man
A hypocrite is in himself both the archer and the mark, in all actions shooting at his own praise or profit.
THOMAS FULLER
The Holy State and the Profane State
He is a pretender to those good qualifications of which he is really destitute, and a dissembler of those vices which he secretly practices. He is that in the church, which a knave is in the state. The one is not fit for civil society; nor the other for christian communion. Were he to appear in his real colors, men would clap their hands at him, and hiss him out of his place. Therefore he paints his face, like Jezebel, with a varnish of goodly words, of sanctified looks, of actions seemingly benevolent and devout. He prays with great fluency of expression; you would think him an angel for fervency and rapture; but it is only in the presence of others. And though his words are flaming, his heart is ice. He gives alms indeed, but must always take witnesses upon it. He is very punctual in going to church, where he seats himself in some remarkable corner, in order to attract all eyes upon himself. He seems to be all attention and composure; he lifts up his hands and eyes in a religious manner; or covers his face, or heaves a sigh, or sends forth a groan. O how mightily he is impressed with the sermon, if you believe his face; while, in the meanwhile, he is indulging his lusts, and his heart going out after his covetousness!
WILLIAM MCEWEN
"The Character of a Hypocrite", Select Essays Doctrinal & Practical on a Variety of the Most Important and Interesting Subjects in Divinity
I have more respect for a man who lets me know where he stands, even if he's wrong, than the one who comes up like an angel and is nothing but a devil.
MALCOLM X
Oxford Union Debate, Dec. 3, 1964