--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man is a hypocrite only when he affects…" description: "\"A man is a hypocrite only when he affects to take a delight in what he does not feel, not because he takes a perverse delight in opposite things.\" — Wi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/197/william-hazlitt-326_delight_a-man-is-a-hypocrite-only-when-he-affect_2055100.png" --- # A man is a hypocrite only when he affects to take a… ![“A man is a hypocrite only when he affects to take a delight in what he does not feel, not because he takes a perverse delight in opposite things.” quote by William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/197/william-hazlitt-326_delight_a-man-is-a-hypocrite-only-when-he-affect_2055100.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/197/william-hazlitt-326_delight_a-man-is-a-hypocrite-only-when-he-affect_2055100.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/197/william-hazlitt-326_delight_a-man-is-a-hypocrite-only-when-he-affect_2055100.png) > “A man is a hypocrite only when he affects to take a delight in what he does not feel, not because he takes a perverse delight in opposite things.” [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A hypocrite pretends to enjoy something they don't truly feel, rather than taking pleasure in opposite actions. **In simple terms:** Pretending to like something is hypocrisy. Key Takeaway Avoid false enthusiasm. Themes hypocrisy authenticity psychology Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - personal relationships - public speaking - leadership - creative work Key Concepts Self‑deception moral integrity Questions to Reflect On - When is feigned enthusiasm harmless? - Can authenticity be measured? A Different Perspective People may genuinely change preferences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Delight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delight/) [Delight Opposite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delight-opposite-3892416/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Hypocrite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypocrite/) [Hypocrite Affects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypocrite-affects-3892415/) [Man Hypocrite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-hypocrite-1027989/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Opposites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opposites/) [Perverse Delight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perverse-delight-3892417/) ## Related quotes > [“If you find a deadness and unaptness, an indisposition in you, you must lift up your souls to the Lord and not give over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-macarthur-jr/if-you-find-a-deadness-and-unaptness-an-indisposition-in-you-you-must/) [John F. MacArthur Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-macarthur-jr/) > [No man is a hypocrite in his pleasures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/no-man-is-a-hypocrite-in-his-pleasures/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [I confess I take perverse delight as a theologian in the controversies surrounding postmodernism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-hauerwas/i-confess-i-take-perverse-delight-as-a-theologian-in-the/) [Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/) > [On Sir Joshua Reynolds's observing that the real character of a man was found out by his amusements. Yes, Sir, no man is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/on-sir-joshua-reynolds-s-observing-that-the-real-character-of-a-man/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“Man is hypocrite! He says that he loves flowers but he kills them for his own simple interests and for his own joy! Man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/man-is-hypocrite-he-says-that-he-loves-flowers-but-he-kills-them-for/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [The only vice that cannot be forgiven is hypocrisy. The repentance of a hypocrite is itself hypocrisy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-only-vice-that-cannot-be-forgiven-is-hypocrisy-the-repentance-of/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [A hypocrite despises those whom he deceives, but has no respect for himself. He would make a dupe of himself too, if he could.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/a-hypocrite-despises-those-whom-he-deceives-but-has-no-respect-for/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [They are the only honest hypocrites, their life is a voluntary dream, a studied madness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/they-are-the-only-honest-hypocrites-their-life-is-a-voluntary-dream-a/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [He is a hypocrite who professes what he does not believe; not he who does not practice all he wishes or approves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/he-is-a-hypocrite-who-professes-what-he-does-not-believe-not-he-who/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Asleep, nobody is a hypocrite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/asleep-nobody-is-a-hypocrite/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [I would be a huge hypocrite if I didn't tell you that at one time in my life I thought the way that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neko-case/i-would-be-a-huge-hypocrite-if-i-didn-t-tell-you-that-at-one-time-in/) [Neko Case](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neko-case/) > [No one has it all figured out, especially not the people who are acting like they do and judging you because of it. Pretending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-max/no-one-has-it-all-figured-out-especially-not-the-people-who-are/) [Tucker Max](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-max/) > [Without the heart it is no worship. It is a stage play. It is an acting of a part without being that person, really.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-charnock/without-the-heart-it-is-no-worship-it-is-a-stage-play-it-is-an-acting/) [Stephen Charnock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-charnock/) > [ That's why we had Louis C.K. portray the harder line Communist, to accuse \[Dalton\] Trumbo of being a hypocrite. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-roach/that-s-why-we-had-louis-c-k-portray-the-harder-line-communist-to/) [Jay Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-roach/) > [Those old hypocrites. They talk about killing witches but the Good Book’s full of magic. Turning the Nile to blood and parting the Red…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/those-old-hypocrites-they-talk-about-killing-witches-but-the-good/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) ## More by William Hazlitt > [First impressions are often the truest, as we find (not infrequently) to our cost, when we have been wheedled out of them by plausible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/first-impressions-are-often-the-truest-as-we-find-not-infrequently-to/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [The art of life is to know how to enjoy a little and to endure very much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-art-of-life-is-to-know-how-to-enjoy-a-little-and-to-endure-very/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [We are thankful for good-will rather than for services, for the motive than the quantum of favor received.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/we-are-thankful-for-good-will-rather-than-for-services-for-the-motive/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [The discussing the characters and foibles of common friends is a great sweetness and cement of friendship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-discussing-the-characters-and-foibles-of-common-friends-is-a/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Want of principle is power. Truth and honesty set a limit to our efforts, which impudence and hypocrisy easily overleap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/want-of-principle-is-power-truth-and-honesty-set-a-limit-to-our/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Repose is as necessary in conversation as in a picture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/repose-is-as-necessary-in-conversation-as-in-a-picture/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [No act terminating in itself constitutes greatness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/no-act-terminating-in-itself-constitutes-greatness/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Vice is man's nature: virtue is a habit--or a mask.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/vice-is-man-s-nature-virtue-is-a-habit-or-a-mask/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [We never do anything well till we cease to think about the manner doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/we-never-do-anything-well-till-we-cease-to-think-about-the-manner/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps; for he is the only animal that is struck with the difference between what things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/man-is-the-only-animal-that-laughs-and-weeps-for-he-is-the-only/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Those who have had none of the cares of this life to harass and disturb them, have been obliged to have recourse to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/those-who-have-had-none-of-the-cares-of-this-life-to-harass-and/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Poverty, when it is voluntary, is never despicable, but takes an heroical aspect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/poverty-when-it-is-voluntary-is-never-despicable-but-takes-an/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [We are not satisfied to be right, unless we can prove others to be quite wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/we-are-not-satisfied-to-be-right-unless-we-can-prove-others-to-be/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [The world judge of men by their ability in their profession, and we judge of ourselves by the same test: for it is on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-world-judge-of-men-by-their-ability-in-their-profession-and-we/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [The best part of our lives we pass in counting on what is to come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-best-part-of-our-lives-we-pass-in-counting-on-what-is-to-come/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) [Explore all 671 William Hazlitt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) ## More Delight quotes > [She smiled with all the delight of a kid on Christmas morning and said, "Y'all smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die." -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/she-smiled-with-all-the-delight-of-a-kid-on-christmas-morning-and/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Shhh.” He put a finger to her lips. “Hear me out. I cannot deny that I would've liked to have made babies with you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hoyt/shhh-he-put-a-finger-to-her-lips-hear-me-out-i-cannot-deny-that-i/) [Elizabeth Hoyt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hoyt/) > [There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nayler/there-is-a-spirit-which-i-feel-that-delights-to-do-no-evil-nor-to/) [James Nayler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-nayler/) > [There was an Old Man of Messina, Whose daughter was named Opsibeena; She wore a small wig, and rode out on a pig, To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lear/there-was-an-old-man-of-messina-whose-daughter-was-named-opsibeena/) [Edward Lear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-lear/) > [A real flame of love is a subtle thing. It burns as a will-o'-the-wisp, dancing onward to fairy lands of delight. It roars as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/a-real-flame-of-love-is-a-subtle-thing-it-burns-as-a-will-o-the-wisp/) [Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/) > [“The gift of words, the source of enjoyment, the source of delight that comes within and the unfading beauty and energy of words.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euginia-herlihy/the-gift-of-words-the-source-of-enjoyment-the-source-of-delight-that/) [Euginia Herlihy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euginia-herlihy/) > [Benefits received are a delight to us as long as we think we can requite them; when that possibility is far exceeded, they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/benefits-received-are-a-delight-to-us-as-long-as-we-think-we-can/) [Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/) > [All the world's bravery that delights our eyes is but thy several liveries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/all-the-world-s-bravery-that-delights-our-eyes-is-but-thy-several/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) > [It might be lonelier Without the Loneliness - I’m so accustomed to my Fate - Perhaps the Other - Peace - Would interrupt the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-dickinson/it-might-be-lonelier-without-the-loneliness-i-m-so-accustomed-to-my/) [Emily Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-dickinson/) > [Design should do the same thing in everyday life that art does when encountered: amaze us, scare us or delight us, but certainly open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-betsky/design-should-do-the-same-thing-in-everyday-life-that-art-does-when/) [Aaron Betsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-betsky/) > [My life shall be free and broad and great, and I will not be the slave to the sense delights which chained my ancient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/my-life-shall-be-free-and-broad-and-great-and-i-will-not-be-the-slave/) [Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/) > [Every natural power exhilarates; a true talent delights the possessor first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/every-natural-power-exhilarates-a-true-talent-delights-the-possessor/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [If we are to define science, ... it does not consist so much in knowing, nor even in "organized knowledge," as it does in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sanders-peirce/if-we-are-to-define-science-it-does-not-consist-so-much-in-knowing/) [Charles Sanders Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sanders-peirce/) > [Significantly, God in Genesis 1 pronounces the rest of creation "good" before humanity is created. 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Like the Doctor himself I find myself in a state of utter terror and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-capaldi/being-asked-to-play-the-doctor-is-an-amazing-privilege-like-the/) [Peter Capaldi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-capaldi/) [Browse all 2,212 Delight quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delight/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A man is a hypocrite only when he affects to take a delight in what he does not feel, not because he takes a perverse delight in opposite things.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Hazlitt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/a-man-is-a-hypocrite-only-when-he-affects-to-take-a-delight-in-what/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Delight" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/a-man-is-a-hypocrite-only-when-he-affects-to-take-a-delight-in-what/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/197/william-hazlitt-326_delight_a-man-is-a-hypocrite-only-when-he-affect_2055100.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/197/william-hazlitt-326_delight_a-man-is-a-hypocrite-only-when-he-affect_2055100.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/197/william-hazlitt-326_delight_a-man-is-a-hypocrite-only-when-he-affect_2055100.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A man is a hypocrite only when he affects to take a delight in what he does not feel, not because he takes a…” — William Hazlitt", "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": "William Hazlitt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A man is a hypocrite only...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/a-man-is-a-hypocrite-only-when-he-affects-to-take-a-delight-in-what/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/a-man-is-a-hypocrite-only-when-he-affects-to-take-a-delight-in-what/#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 } } ] } ```