Hypocrisy Trap

Michael Hallsworth is a leading figure in applying behavioral science to real-world challenges. For the last 20 years he has been an official and an advisor for governments around the world. The coauthor of the book Behavioral Insights, he built a 250-person consultancy business and has held positions at Princeton University, Columbia University, Imperial College London, and the University of Pennsylvania.

“In The Hypocrisy Trap, Michael Hallsworth reveals the hidden psychology of double standards—not to excuse them, but to help us navigate them. Bracing, insightful, and quietly optimistic, this book makes you feel smarter about human behavior on nearly every page.”—Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times best-selling author of Drive, When, and The Power of Regret“We’ve all been guilty of calling out someone else’s hypocrisy while quietly ignoring our own flaws. The Hypocrisy Trap confronts this issue head-on—and shows how we can break the cycle of accusations. If you’ve ever felt that we should be dealing with each other differently, this book provides the guide.”—Annie Duke, author of Thinking in Bets and Quit “Not all hypocrisy is bad. Michael Hallsworth reveals why tolerating some contradictions may be the price of functioning democracies and healthy relationships.”—Jay Van Bavel, Professor of Psychology, New York University; coauthor of The Power of Us“We’re quick to accuse others of hypocrisy, of failing their own values and playing both sides. But in The Hypocrisy Trap, Hallsworth flips the script: the real danger isn’t hypocrisy—it’s our panic about it. Seeing hypocrisy everywhere turns us cynical and makes honest striving look suspicious. This book is a sharp, clear-eyed case for backing off the moral outrage and learning to live with the gap between who we are and who we want to be.”—Kurt Gray, Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; author of Outraged“The Hypocrisy Trap offers a thoughtful exploration of our deeply human tendency to abhor hypocrisy—and the unintended consequences that can follow. Blending real-world examples with insights from behavioral science and philosophy, Hallsworth proposes a more constructive way to understand and respond to hypocrisy than simply following our instincts.”—Katy Milkman, James G. Dinan Professor, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania; author of How to Change"For businesses, the trust of your customers can be destroyed in a moment - and nothing destroys trust like accusations of hypocrisy. In The Hypocrisy Trap, Michael Hallsworth shows how it doesn’t need to be this way. Companies can make smarter commitments; consumers can adopt more realistic expectations. Strengthening trust in this way is a recipe for a stronger economy and a more resilient society."—Alison Taylor, Clinical Associate Professor, New York University Stern School of Business; author of Higher Ground"Hallsworth offers a new moral vocabulary and provocative exploration of when hypocrisy is harmful and when it is simply inconsistency that makes us human. The Hypocrisy Trap reminds us that those without sin can cast the first stone. This is a timely, fundamentally humane book that points the way to a more honest, forgiving, and principled society."—Michael Muthukrishna, author of A Theory of Everyone: The New Science of Who We Are, How We Got Here, and Where We're Going

• IntroductionPart One: Building the trap: What we get wrong about hypocrisy and why it mattersThe drive to criticizeWe hate hypocrisyWe see hypocrisy everywhereWe enjoy taking down hypocritesHypocrisy is woven into societyThe hypocrites we likeThe hypocrisy trapThe real impact of hypocrisyThe Trust MachineThe Purity RegimeEveryday CompromisesBrazen Power PlaysPart Two: Understanding the trap: How Hypocrisy Really WorksA brief history of thinking about hypocrisyMaybe we should ask some people what they think?New insights into hypocrisyInconsistencyWhat type of inconsistency is it?What’s the extent of the inconsistency?InjusticeWhy we hate free ridersWhy democracy puts us on alert for hypocrisyHunter-gatherers on the lookout for hypocrisyMotivationWhat happened because of the hypocrisy?BenefitsSocial statusSelf-imageDouble standards hypocrisy“Rules for thee but not for me”“Blood is thicker than water”Dominance and prestigePart Three: Escaping The Trap: What We Can DoTaking a different view of hypocrisyPoliticsBusiness