---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Hypocrisy is not a way of getting back to…"
description: "\"Hypocrisy is not a way of getting back to the moral high ground. Pretending you're moral, saying your moral is not the same as acting morally.\" — Alan ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fb/alan-dershowitz-2194_acting_hypocrisy-is-not-a-way-of-getting-back-t_1629799.png"
---

#  Hypocrisy is not a way of getting back to the moral high…

![“Hypocrisy is not a way of getting back to the moral high ground. Pretending you're moral, saying your moral is not the same as acting morally.” quote by Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fb/alan-dershowitz-2194_acting_hypocrisy-is-not-a-way-of-getting-back-t_1629799.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fb/alan-dershowitz-2194_acting_hypocrisy-is-not-a-way-of-getting-back-t_1629799.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fb/alan-dershowitz-2194_acting_hypocrisy-is-not-a-way-of-getting-back-t_1629799.png)

> “Hypocrisy is not a way of getting back to the moral high ground. Pretending you're moral, saying your moral is not the same as acting morally.”

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Hypocrisy occurs when one pretends moral superiority without acting accordingly, failing to regain moral high ground.

**In simple terms:** Pretending to be moral without acting that way is hypocrisy.

Key Takeaway

Align actions with stated morals.

Themes

ethics integrity self‑deception public discourse

Mood

critical analytical

Type

philosophical controversial

When to use this quote

- political debates
- corporate governance
- personal relationships

Key Concepts

moral philosophy behavioral consistency credibility

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we verify genuine moral behavior?
- What role does accountability play in ethics?

A Different Perspective

People may argue that intentions matter more than actions.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Acting Morally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting-morally-472482/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Getting Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting-moral-472486/) [High ground](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-ground/) [Hypocrisy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypocrisy/) [Hypocrisy Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypocrisy-way-472483/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Moral high ground](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-high-ground/) [Pretending](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretending/) [Pretending Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretending-moral-472484/) [Saying Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saying-moral-472485/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/)

## Related quotes

> [The act of acting morally is behaving as if everything we do matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/the-act-of-acting-morally-is-behaving-as-if-everything-we-do-matters/)

[Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/)

> [I'm saying that the moral climate within the ruling class in this country is not that different from the moral climate within the ruling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-clennon/i-m-saying-that-the-moral-climate-within-the-ruling-class-in-this/)

[David Clennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-clennon/)

> [This world is so full of hypocrisy, the only way you can be honest is to be a hermit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/this-world-is-so-full-of-hypocrisy-the-only-way-you-can-be-honest-is/)

[Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/)

> [Saying that you are moral because you believe in a God is like saying you are an economist because you play Monopoly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-w-cox/saying-that-you-are-moral-because-you-believe-in-a-god-is-like-saying/)

[Robert W. Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-w-cox/)

> [The Christianity that had come in my life as a child was all this idea that you're never going to see God. It's like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-harrison/the-christianity-that-had-come-in-my-life-as-a-child-was-all-this/)

[George Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-harrison/)

> [All the getting you as a moral or immortal. Whatever as in your fate.you get it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/all-the-getting-you-as-a-moral-or-immortal-whatever-as-in-your-fate/)

[Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/)

> [Whatever as in your fate.you get it. All the getting you as a moral or immortal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/whatever-as-in-your-fate-you-get-it-all-the-getting-you-as-a-moral-or/)

[Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/)

> [“It's not a question of getting more moral soldiers. Instead it's a question of recognizing how the situation of war (and the cultural institutions/practices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/it-s-not-a-question-of-getting-more-moral-soldiers-instead-it-s-a/)

[Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/)

> [An e-mail from a reader says that liberals like to take the moral high ground, even though their own moral relativism means that there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/an-e-mail-from-a-reader-says-that-liberals-like-to-take-the-moral/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [I remember my days as a graduate student at Stanford, within any leading university, a very active Israeli support, for Israel, Jews fighting for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ehud-barak/i-remember-my-days-as-a-graduate-student-at-stanford-within-any/)

[Ehud Barak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ehud-barak/)

> [“Things had changed between us in a profound way, something I think we both knew. All our fighting and nitpicking seemed so silly now.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-wylde/things-had-changed-between-us-in-a-profound-way-something-i-think-we/)

[Joanna Wylde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-wylde/)

> [“Nothing gives your average bored Sunni bigot surfing the web more instant gratification than zooming in on sigeh to condemn the Shia as debauched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-bradley/nothing-gives-your-average-bored-sunni-bigot-surfing-the-web-more/)

[John R. Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-bradley/)

> [We have come to think of taking offence as a fundamental right. We value very little more highly than our rage, which gives us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/we-have-come-to-think-of-taking-offence-as-a-fundamental-right-we/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [I always say that playing Christ has just made me a better version of myself because I aspire to greater things, to a moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-roumie/i-always-say-that-playing-christ-has-just-made-me-a-better-version-of/)

[Jonathan Roumie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-roumie/)

> [“The moral high ground proved to be one hell of an aphrodisiac...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-a-floriste/the-moral-high-ground-proved-to-be-one-hell-of-an-aphrodisiac/)

[Eve A. Floriste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-a-floriste/)

## More by Alan Dershowitz

> [I am a peace supporting Jew.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/i-am-a-peace-supporting-jew/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [There is no perfect justice, just as there is no absolute in ethics. But there is perfect injustice, and we know it when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/there-is-no-perfect-justice-just-as-there-is-no-absolute-in-ethics/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [A criminal trial is never about seeking justice for the victim. If it were, there could be only one verdict: guilty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/a-criminal-trial-is-never-about-seeking-justice-for-the-victim-if-it/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [If torture is going to be administered as a last resort in the ticking-bomb case, to save enormous numbers of lives, it ought to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/if-torture-is-going-to-be-administered-as-a-last-resort-in-the/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [The Second Amendment has no place in modern society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/the-second-amendment-has-no-place-in-modern-society/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [Our First Amendment expresses a far different calculus for regulating speech than for regulating nonexpressive conduct and that is as it should be. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/our-first-amendment-expresses-a-far-different-calculus-for-regulating/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [I think that lawyers are terrible at admitting that they're wrong. And not just admitting it; also realizing it. Most lawyers are very successful,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/i-think-that-lawyers-are-terrible-at-admitting-that-they-re-wrong-and/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [Asymmetrical warfare is a euphemism for terrorism, just like collateral damage is a euphemism for killing innocent civilians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/asymmetrical-warfare-is-a-euphemism-for-terrorism-just-like/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [I never had an existential moment when I asked myself what I was going to do. I always wanted to be a lawyer, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/i-never-had-an-existential-moment-when-i-asked-myself-what-i-was/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [The Internet knows no national borders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/the-internet-knows-no-national-borders/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [It's a new phenomenon in America that states can now sue the national government and become a kind of check and balance on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/it-s-a-new-phenomenon-in-america-that-states-can-now-sue-the-national/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [When it comes to partisan politics, everyone is a hypocrite. And all they care about is whether it hurts or helps them ... Is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/when-it-comes-to-partisan-politics-everyone-is-a-hypocrite-and-all/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [Everybody says they're opposed to torture. But everyone would do it personally if they knew it could save the life of a kidnapped child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/everybody-says-they-re-opposed-to-torture-but-everyone-would-do-it/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [I think mistakes are the essence of science and law. It's impossible to conceive of either scientific progress or legal progress without understanding the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/i-think-mistakes-are-the-essence-of-science-and-law-it-s-impossible/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [I never place limits on the potential success of my students. If they're going into acting, they're going to win the Oscar... If they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/i-never-place-limits-on-the-potential-success-of-my-students-if-they/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

[Explore all 177 Alan Dershowitz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

## More Acting quotes

> [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/)

[Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/)

> [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/)

[Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/)

> [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/)

[Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/)

> [Acting is a grind, just like music is a grind. Sometimes it takes longer than what you can give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/acting-is-a-grind-just-like-music-is-a-grind-sometimes-it-takes/)

[Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/)

> [It was only when I started making short films in college and I was looking for girls to play the me-ish parts that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/it-was-only-when-i-started-making-short-films-in-college-and-i-was/)

[Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/)

> [Writing is something I took up rather than anything I had an inclination toward. I like acting -delivering someone else's message - but writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/writing-is-something-i-took-up-rather-than-anything-i-had-an/)

[Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/)

> [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. I had a tendency to be precious about acting, thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-regan/i-can-still-function-when-i-don-t-have-that-balance-i-crave-i-had-a/)

[Laura Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-regan/)

> [Actors don't hate acting. Most people don't hate acting! Whether you're a child mucking around with your friends or a grown up being paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/actors-don-t-hate-acting-most-people-don-t-hate-acting-whether-you-re/)

[Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/)

> [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/)

[Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/)

> [Once I committed to acting, this has been it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-hudson/once-i-committed-to-acting-this-has-been-it/)

[Ernie Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-hudson/)

> [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/)

[Ryan Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-newman/)

> [The show was number one in the ratings, Gordon Russell was our head writer, the story lines were magnificent and the acting most exciting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-storm/the-show-was-number-one-in-the-ratings-gordon-russell-was-our-head/)

[Michael Storm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-storm/)

> [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/)

[Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/)

> [I do not believe in public shaming. I do believe that young adults go to college to learn things, and that this process will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-do-not-believe-in-public-shaming-i-do-believe-that-young-adults-go/)

[Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/)

> [Poetry has, in a way, been my bridge to my acting career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omari-hardwick/poetry-has-in-a-way-been-my-bridge-to-my-acting-career/)

[Omari Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omari-hardwick/)

[Browse all 12,062 Acting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Hypocrisy is not a way of getting back to the moral high ground. Pretending you're moral, saying your moral is not the same as acting morally.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Alan Dershowitz"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/hypocrisy-is-not-a-way-of-getting-back-to-the-moral-high-ground/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Acting"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/hypocrisy-is-not-a-way-of-getting-back-to-the-moral-high-ground/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fb/alan-dershowitz-2194_acting_hypocrisy-is-not-a-way-of-getting-back-t_1629799.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fb/alan-dershowitz-2194_acting_hypocrisy-is-not-a-way-of-getting-back-t_1629799.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fb/alan-dershowitz-2194_acting_hypocrisy-is-not-a-way-of-getting-back-t_1629799.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Hypocrisy is not a way of getting back to the moral high ground. Pretending you're moral, saying your moral…” — Alan Dershowitz",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Alan Dershowitz",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Hypocrisy is not a way of...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/hypocrisy-is-not-a-way-of-getting-back-to-the-moral-high-ground/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/hypocrisy-is-not-a-way-of-getting-back-to-the-moral-high-ground/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
