The Hypocrisy of Words

Webster defines hypocrisy as “false pretension to personal qualities or principles not actually possessed.” I looked it up to make sure I was right about my assumptions. My title may be a little misleading; the words aren’t hypocritical, just the people who use them. This train of thought pulled out of the station when I heard the John Lennon classic “Imagine”.

This is one of the former Beatles’ best known songs. It’s an idealistic call to rise above the ho-hum of typical life and be free, uncommitted, owning and wanting nothing. Please ignore the fact that it hails from a multi-millionaire in a New York City penthouse. It sounds okay until you do a bit of critical thinking and word analysis.

For example, I couldn’t stop thinking about the line “nothing to kill or die for’. At first glance, it sounds reasonable and civilized. One can see a barbarian type ruffian wanting to kill something or someone for pleasure and nothing else; simply for the carnal satisfaction of dominating a weaker life form and ridding the earth of it. Yeah, I’m with you John, that ain’t me Man! I’m not looking to cause senseless pain to anybody. I’d like to live in a world where that never happens too.

This is where the critical thinking needs to kick in full tilt. Who in their right mind wants to kill anyone? Who is it that is looking to throw their very life away? Well, me for one and I would gamble you would too. Stick with me here.

What are the reasons you would kill someone? Greed, revenge, jealousy, position , sex or of course money. To be fair, these are probably the things our hippie friend was talking about when he wrote the song. But I contend that there are other things that are just as intense but much more honorable. What about friends, family, justice or principle? Do these summon intense passions any less?

I’m not a violent person; but if a nut is threatening my wife or kids, I’m ready to inflict pain and death mercilessly. Therefore I don’t want a world where there is nothing to kill or die for.

I guess it’s a matter of perspective. When I hear that song play, it conjures up images of a hung-over, unshaven old man waking up in despair on a park bench. Slurring his words, saying that there is nothing to live for. He owns nothing. He needs nothing, except maybe another bottle of Thunderbird.

The point is that too often we immediately accept the vantage point of the one making the statement, because it may be well-intentioned, albeit ridiculous.

Here’s another example of the same: the word sustainable. Environmentalists wring their hands and wet their pants over urban sprawl. Anyone who has driven out west knows we have multi-thousands of acres to inhabit. The world isn’t full or even near it. This is more of an anti-capitalism agenda than it is worrying over the earth.

I was on a gardening website that touted sustainable gardening! I wondered if the people ever thought at all about what they say. What is unsustainable gardening? Is that where every person in the world has a garden and the planet is covered with green, fruit bearing plants? Oh no! Sierra Club, please come and save us from this natural phenomenon fouling the environment.

But for some reason many Americans will default to feeling guilty and believe the prepackaged foolishness instead of trusting their gut instinct and screaming that the emperor has no clothes. Yes, the emperor is a blatant exhibitionist. He has been walking around naked for years now. We in the crowd have been too afraid of political incorrectness to state the obvious.

Question the status quo. Trust your common sense. It’s called independent thinking and it rocks.