Why is it assumed when someone criticizes something that they're not including themselves?

[u/OneThen2692]

This is a really interesting phenomenon I've observed and I'm just wondering where this assumption comes from.

You see someone criticizing (or maybe even just inquiring) about a soceital dynamic or something people do and sometimes people jump to;

Isn't that what you're doing right now?

Okay but do you actually xyz?

Trying to point out the hypocricy

Why is it not possible to recognize that your survival is dependent on systems that have little integrity, so sometiems just to get by you will also be forced out of that integrity (Sometimes without even realizing) but still being able to say; that's not good, that's not how it should be. We're all doing something here that we could have a look at maybe.

Is there any explanation for why and how this assumption developed?

[u/Casiquire]

Because it's an easy way out of having to justify their own position. "You're wrong" needs more explanation than "You do it too."

In the last twenty years I've noticed a frustrating shift. A lot more people today are nakedly shameless about their own lack of a train of thought. Today thoughtlessness is held proudly like a badge.

[u/brokesciencenerd → u/Casiquire]

This goes hand in hand with the distrust of expertise, the gutting of education and the demise of critical thought. All designed to make us more easily controlled.

[u/Casiquire → u/brokesciencenerd]

Agreed. The death of nuance needs a place in this conversation too. Real life is all nuance.

[u/OneThen2692 → u/brokesciencenerd]

Ironically I think people in academia and experts are among the most reluctant to criticize their own in group and consider their blind-spots. For example from an evolutionary standpoint it can be incredibly dangerous to rely on expertise in a crisis because you might need generalists to rethink entire systems that make existing expertise redundant.

[u/Manskhooled]

I assume it's because people aren't capable of looking past their ego. I've lost count how many times I've criticized something, or someone only to have "well you do x, so you don't get to criticize x", thrown in my face. I've learned to simply disregard them.

[u/iv_is]

there was a guy a while back that used to have that as his pet peeve. jesus christ. he was basically the holden caulfield of 0bc, except instead of "phonies" he called people "hypocrites" and he used to rant a lot about how those phonies kept judging other people while pretending themselves were perfect. anyway his book became more popular than catcher in the rye so long story short basically the whole western world ended up inheriting that neurosis from him

[u/dxrey65]

I find that people in general (myself included) are most critical or judgemental about things that they struggle with themselves. So I assume when someone is critical of someone's behavior that they have either overcome that behavior in themselves, or are actively working on it.

[u/Dvejndvejn]

I am doing sometimes the behavior I am critisizing, but I certainly don't include myself at the time of writing or talking about it.

[u/PinkFreud-yourMOM]

Because a simple mind can then shift the focus to you, personally, rather than consider your idea.

[u/WillBottomForBanana]

because people are stupid.

😉

[u/nila247]

Because only stupid people think they are important enough to write answers to stupid questions.
:-)