Organized Hypocrisy

This chapter deals with the theme of hypocrisy — the inverted relationship between decision and action. Hypocrisy is a response to a world in which values, ideas, or people are in conflict — a way in which individuals and organizations handle such conflicts. It is a way of trying to satisfy some demands by talk or decisions and others by action. Situations of conflicting demands often make it easier to act in one direction if the decision indicates the opposite: the more clear is the decision that is made about an action, the lower the likelihood that that action will actually be taken. The probability of an action increases if what is decided is in opposition to it. Decisions in one direction compensate for actions in the opposite direction and vice versa. In order to choose or mobilize actions, decisions must be made before actions. In order to establish responsibility and create legitimacy, however, this is not always necessary; instead it is often wise to make decisions after the actions — when there is no uncertainty about which action has been taken.