---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Hypocrisy is our friend. Power structures…"
description: "\"“Hypocrisy is our friend. Power structures have to pretend to hold values in order to win the loyalty of at least some of society. We can use the gap b..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d0/justin-podur-251377_friendship_hypocrisy-is-our-friend-power-structures_1915922.jpg"
---

#  Hypocrisy is our friend. Power structures have to pretend…

![“Hypocrisy is our friend. Power structures have to pretend to hold values in order to win the loyalty of at least some of society. We can use the gap between those professed values and reality to move people to try to change the reality towards the values.” quote by Justin Podur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d0/justin-podur-251377_friendship_hypocrisy-is-our-friend-power-structures_1915922.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d0/justin-podur-251377_friendship_hypocrisy-is-our-friend-power-structures_1915922.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d0/justin-podur-251377_friendship_hypocrisy-is-our-friend-power-structures_1915922.jpg)

> ““Hypocrisy is our friend. Power structures have to pretend to hold values in order to win the loyalty of at least some of society. We can use the gap between those professed values and reality to move people to try to change the reality towards the values.””

Justin Podur

## About This Quote

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

Hypocrisy in power can be leveraged; exposing gaps between stated values and actions mobilizes change.

**In simple terms:** Use hypocrisy to drive reform.

Key Takeaway

Expose contradictions.

Themes

politics ethics activism

Mood

critical motivated

Type

political strategic

When to use this quote

- campaign strategies
- community organizing

Key Concepts

social movements policy analysis public discourse

Questions to Reflect On

- What values does your institution claim?
- How can you highlight inconsistencies constructively?

A Different Perspective

Overreliance on hypocrisy may alienate allies.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Hypocrisy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypocrisy/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Writing advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-advice/)

## Related quotes

> [We should teach our children about the reality of failure. Instead of buying them iPhones and iPads, we should teach them values and reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karthi/we-should-teach-our-children-about-the-reality-of-failure-instead-of/)

[Karthi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karthi/)

> [If we are to go forward, we must go back and rediscover these precious values - that all reality hinges on moral foundations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/if-we-are-to-go-forward-we-must-go-back-and-rediscover-these-precious/)

[Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/)

> [“My trip to the former Yugoslavia had opened the world for me, and my hunger for the world. In doing so, it undid the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-ensler/my-trip-to-the-former-yugoslavia-had-opened-the-world-for-me-and-my/)

[Eve Ensler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-ensler/)

> ['The Godfather' illustrated the family values - the reality that it was really a family thing, honor and tradition. It wasn't just a single-dimension…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-vincent/the-godfather-illustrated-the-family-values-the-reality-that-it-was/)

[Frank Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-vincent/)

> [One of the very basic ideas of Post-Modernism is rejection of arbitrary power structures. Different people are sensitive to different kinds of power structures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/one-of-the-very-basic-ideas-of-post-modernism-is-rejection-of/)

[Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/)

> [Domestic power structures are shaped in good part by global arrangements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pogge/domestic-power-structures-are-shaped-in-good-part-by-global/)

[Thomas Pogge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pogge/)

> [We are questioning more than the philosophy behind our dependence upon limited and limiting systems. We question the power structures that have grown up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/we-are-questioning-more-than-the-philosophy-behind-our-dependence/)

[Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/)

> [Challenging power structures from the inside, working the cracks within the system, however, requires learning to speak multiple languages of power convincingly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-hill-collins/challenging-power-structures-from-the-inside-working-the-cracks/)

[Patricia Hill Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-hill-collins/)

> [Dear reader, traditional human power structures and their reign of darkness are about to be rendered obsolete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dear-reader-traditional-human-power-structures-and-their-reign-of/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Anarchists try to identify power structures. They urge those exercising power to justify themselves. This justification does not succeed most of the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/anarchists-try-to-identify-power-structures-they-urge-those/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [The issue of power is not bound to power per se, but often depends on the people themselves, to what extent they unconsciously encourage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitra-farahani/the-issue-of-power-is-not-bound-to-power-per-se-but-often-depends-on/)

Mitra Farahani

> [I believe that the existing power structures in Europe and Northeast Asia are not sustainable through 2020.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/i-believe-that-the-existing-power-structures-in-europe-and-northeast/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

> [The tragic reality is that very few sustainable systems are designed or applied by those who hold power, and the reason for this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mollison/the-tragic-reality-is-that-very-few-sustainable-systems-are-designed/)

[Bill Mollison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mollison/)

> [“But let the wise be warned against too great readiness at explanation: it multiplies the sources of mistake, lengthening the sum for reckoners sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/but-let-the-wise-be-warned-against-too-great-readiness-at-explanation/)

[George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/)

> [“The best kind of praise is intelligent praise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-heffington/the-best-kind-of-praise-is-intelligent-praise/)

[Rachel Heffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-heffington/)

## More Friendship quotes

> [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I never believed in trying to do anything. Whatever I set out to do I found I had already accomplished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/i-never-believed-in-trying-to-do-anything-whatever-i-set-out-to-do-i/)

[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/)

> [“ever day Maureen is Selfish To her friend and Family One she get mad at her friend and family and She need to Grad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-andeson/ever-day-maureen-is-selfish-to-her-friend-and-family-one-she-get-mad/)

Maureen Andeson

> [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/)

[Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/)

> [I gave my archive to Emory University because there's a really dear friend who teaches there, Rudolph Byrd, and he's the editor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-gave-my-archive-to-emory-university-because-there-s-a-really-dear/)

[Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/)

> [Friends are like stars you can't always see them, but you know they're there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknwon/friends-are-like-stars-you-can-t-always-see-them-but-you-know-they-re/)

Unknwon

> [I've been writing songs since I was 10 years old and always had a penchant for rhyming. I started listening to hip hop through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hoodie-allen/i-ve-been-writing-songs-since-i-was-10-years-old-and-always-had-a/)

[Hoodie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hoodie-allen/)

> [If you love some one for who they are not for there body or how many friend so when you say I love you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknow/if-you-love-some-one-for-who-they-are-not-for-there-body-or-how-many/)

Unknow

> [“But my best friend from college was silent for a long time. She, of all of my friends, had seen the parade of sad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/but-my-best-friend-from-college-was-silent-for-a-long-time-she-of-all/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [You smile upon your friend to-day, To-day his ills are over; You hearken to the lover's say, And happy is the lover. 'Tis late…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-smile-upon-your-friend-to-day-to-day-his-ills-are-over-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“way. A true friend isn't the one that agrees with everything you say or do. A true friend is someone that has your back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shameek-speight/way-a-true-friend-isn-t-the-one-that-agrees-with-everything-you-say/)

[Shameek Speight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shameek-speight/)

> [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/)

[Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/)

> [“Kings don’t move mountains as a favor to a friend,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-whalen-turner/kings-don-t-move-mountains-as-a-favor-to-a-friend/)

[Megan Whalen Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-whalen-turner/)

> [I have friends and family that identify as LGBTQ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mace/i-have-friends-and-family-that-identify-as-lgbtq/)

[Nancy Mace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mace/)

> [“The real purpose of friendship was to discover and exploit weakness in others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-thompson/the-real-purpose-of-friendship-was-to-discover-and-exploit-weakness/)

[Brian Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-thompson/)

[Browse all 45,469 Friendship quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Hypocrisy is our friend. Power structures have to pretend to hold values in order to win the loyalty of at least some of society. We can use the gap between those professed values and reality to move people to try to change the reality towards the values.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Justin Podur"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-podur/hypocrisy-is-our-friend-power-structures-have-to-pretend-to-hold/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Friendship"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-podur/hypocrisy-is-our-friend-power-structures-have-to-pretend-to-hold/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d0/justin-podur-251377_friendship_hypocrisy-is-our-friend-power-structures_1915922.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d0/justin-podur-251377_friendship_hypocrisy-is-our-friend-power-structures_1915922.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d0/justin-podur-251377_friendship_hypocrisy-is-our-friend-power-structures_1915922.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Hypocrisy is our friend. Power structures have to pretend to hold values in order to win the loyalty of at…” — Justin Podur",
                "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": "Justin Podur",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-podur/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Hypocrisy is our friend. Power structures...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-podur/hypocrisy-is-our-friend-power-structures-have-to-pretend-to-hold/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-podur/hypocrisy-is-our-friend-power-structures-have-to-pretend-to-hold/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
