What is hypocrisy?

Hypocrisy is when someone says one thing but does another, even though they know better.

Imagine you're sharing a bag of candies with your friend. You both agree to take only two candies each so the whole bag lasts longer. But then you see your friend takes five candies and leaves you with just one. Instead of being fair, you say, "That's not fair!", but you also took five candies and left your friend with none. That’s hypocrisy: you’re pointing out a mistake in others while making the same mistake yourself.

Hypocrisy can feel like someone is playing a game of hide and seek with the truth. They say one thing, but their actions tell a different story. It's like when your teacher tells you to be quiet during class, but then she starts talking loudly on the phone right after you finish your test.

It’s not always mean, sometimes people are just forgetful or distracted. But when they know better and still act differently, that’s when hypocrisy feels most playful, and a little tricky!