Full access
Clinical & Research News
Published Online: 19 March 2004

Why Are We Taken In By Duplicity?

Joan Arehart-TreichelAuthors Info & Affiliations
Publication: Psychiatric News
Volume 39, Number 6
https://doi.org/10.1176/pn.39.6.0062
Why do so many people fall for scams, unproven medical treatments, sexual seduction, empty political promises? In short, why do so many people fall prey to hypocrisy, which for the purposes of a presentation at the recent meeting of the American Psychoanalytic Association was defined as “consciously intended deception by a person in a position of trust”?
It may be because they can’t stand uncertainty, idealize the hypocrite, have strong desires for something, and transfer their childhood-acquired trust to the hypocrite.
So suggested Anton Kris, M.D., a clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, during a plenary talk at the meeting, held in New York City in January. His talk was titled “The Lure of Hypocrisy.”
Some 20 years ago, Kris reported, he started pondering why people are taken in by hypocrites. He came to the conclusion that one of the major reasons is that people idealize figures of authority such as their bosses, religious or government leaders, or those in the healing professions.
But idealization alone will not lead a person to being vulnerable to duplicity, he said; it must also be accompanied by anxiety.
“It seemed to me that idealization as a defense against the dread of uncertainty accounted for the susceptibility to hypocrisy,” he explained. “That is, the desire for certainty leads to idealization of the hypocrite in exchange for the individual’s credulity.”
Yet even when idealization and the yearning for certainty are present, he continued, they will not bring about susceptibility to hypocrisy unless they are also accompanied by strong desires to obtain something. For instance, he said, “Terminally ill patients and their families may yield to wishful fantasy in their search for ‘miracle’ cures, [and] under those circumstances, they become vulnerable to hypocritical snake-oil hucksters.”
And yet a fourth ingredient is also necessary if people are going to fall prey to hypocrisy, he asserted—“credulity resulting from a transference-based, developmentally early form of trust.” All in all, he concluded, “It remains a difficult task throughout life to maintain a balance between trust and distrust.”
But surely many people are impervious to hypocrisy? Kris thinks not. “Everyone is susceptible to hypocrisy under some circumstances,” he cautioned. “In times or conditions of increased uncertainty, that susceptibility will be particularly great.” ▪

Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Go to Psychiatric News
Psychiatric News
Volume 39 • Number 6 • March 19, 2004
Pages: 62

History

Published online: 19 March 2004
Published in print: March 19, 2004

Notes

A psychiatrist takes a psychoanalytic view of the reasons so many people seem vulnerable to the machinations of hypocrites.

Authors

Affiliations

Metrics & Citations

Metrics

Citations

Export Citations

If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.

For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu.

Format
Citation style
Style
Copy to clipboard
Tips for downloading citations

There are no citations for this item

View Options

View options

Get Access

Login options

Already a subscriber? Access your subscription through your login credentials or your institution for full access to this article.

Personal login Institutional Login Open Athens login

Not a subscriber?

Subscribe Now / Learn More

PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-5-TR® library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development.

Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.).

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

Share

Share

Share article link

Share

×

As described within the American Psychiatric Association (APA)'s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, this website utilizes cookies, including for the purpose of offering an optimal online experience and services tailored to your preferences. Please read the entire Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. By closing this message, browsing this website, continuing the navigation, or otherwise continuing to use the APA's websites, you confirm that you understand and accept the terms of the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, including the utilization of cookies.