You ever notice how someone will scream bloody murder about a lie — unless it’s told by their best friend, their favorite politician, or their damn grandma? Yeah, that’s the flaming heart of this entire mess. We’re not moral creatures by default — we’re tribal animals with Wi-Fi. And when loyalty comes knockin’, ethics quietly packs its $#!t and leaves the building.
This post is about how and why we give free passes to people in “our group,” even when they’re acting like absolute f#%knuckles. Spoiler: it ain’t pretty, but it is human.
Your Brain Is a Hypocrisy Factory
You might think your brain is a finely-tuned logic machine. Sorry, buttercup — it’s a chaos gremlin duct-taped to a loyalty engine. We evolved to survive in tight groups, where sticking together was the difference between surviving the saber-toothed tiger and becoming its happy meal.
That wiring didn’t vanish. It’s still running the show — and it’s running it dirty. When someone from “our tribe” does something shady, our brain says, “Well, they meant well” or “It’s not the same as when the other guys do it.”
That’s motivated reasoning — a fancy psych term for “bull$#!t we tell ourselves so we don’t have to feel like d!cks.” You believe what you want to believe, and then you reverse-engineer logic to make it sound noble.
Same Crime, Different Punishment
Let’s break it down with some classic examples:
- Politics: Your guy cheats? “Tough but strategic.” Their guy cheats? “Scum-sucking sociopath who should be launched into the sun.”
- Family: Your uncle’s a lazy freeloader? “He’s just going through a rough patch.” Some random stranger does it? “Worthless bum.”
- Religion: Leader from your church caught with his pants down? “He needs our prayers.” Leader from another church? “Proof they’re all corrupt.”
It’s like we’re playing ethical pinball, and we tilt the damn table depending on who’s at the flippers.
Loyalty Isn’t the Problem — Blind Loyalty Is
Loyalty isn’t evil. Hell, it’s one of the few things that holds society together. But when it turns into blind f#%kin’ devotion, that’s when the wheels come off. Suddenly, people are defending war crimes because the guy committing them “represents their values.” What in the actual f#%k?
There’s a massive difference between having someone’s back and shoving your head up their a$$. One makes you a good friend. The other makes you a willfully ignorant enabler of bull$#!t.
Why the Hell Do We Do This?
Short answer? Because it feels safe.
Longer answer:
- Tribal Survival Mode: Being part of a group gives us identity and protection. Admitting someone from your group is a piece of $#!t can feel like betraying your entire identity.
- Cognitive Dissonance: Holding two opposing thoughts makes your brain itch. “I support this person” + “This person is doing terrible things” = mental meltdown. So we fix it by ignoring the bad $#!t.
- Fear of Isolation: Call out your own tribe and you might get booted from the clubhouse. Nobody wants to eat lunch alone.
How This F#%ks Up the World
This psychological backflip isn’t just annoying — it’s dangerous as hell.
- Corrupt leaders stay in power because their “fans” excuse everything.
- Toxic family dynamics go unchecked because “that’s just how he is.”
- Institutions rot from the inside because nobody wants to “rock the boat.”
The worst part? The more people see others getting away with it, the more they say “F#%k it, why should I bother doing the right thing?”
Ethics turns into a damn suggestion, not a rule.
What Can You Do About It? (Without Becoming a Self-Righteous A$$hole)
Here’s your anti-hypocrisy toolkit:
- Check Your Biases: When someone you like does something shady, pause before you defend them. Would you feel the same if it were someone you don’t like?
- Call Out Your Own: It’s not betrayal — it’s integrity. Real loyalty means helping your people be better, not helping them be untouchable.
- Build Bridges, Not Cults: Be loyal to ideas, not just people. Values like honesty, fairness, and kindness — those are worth defending. Not just “Team Red” or “Team Blue” or “Team My Uncle Jerry.”
Because at the end of the f#%king day, if you’re only ethical when it’s convenient, you’re not ethical. You’re just a tribal cheerleader with a moral blindfold on.
FAQ: For the Ethically Confused and Tribally Possessed
Q: Isn’t loyalty a virtue?
A: F#%kin’ A it is — until it turns into a moral lobotomy. Loyalty without honesty is just enabling wrapped in a hug.
Q: But what if they really are better than the other side?
A: That still doesn’t mean they get a free pass to act like f#%king goblins. Being “less bad” is not the same as being good.
Q: Can’t calling out my own side cause division?
A: Good. Division from bull$#!t is called progress. Stop being scared of growth, you wet noodle.
Q: Isn’t this just human nature?
A: So is $#!tting in the woods. We built toilets for a reason. Let’s evolve, yeah?
Q: How do I know if I’m being a hypocrite?
A: Ask yourself: “Would I be okay with this if someone from another group did it?” If the answer is no, congrats — you’ve got a double standard the size of Texas.
Don’t Be a D!ck
Look, the world’s already full of blind loyalists, moral contortionists, and excuse-making weasels. You don’t need to join the choir of delusion. Be the kind of person who can love someone and hold them accountable. Be the voice in the room that says, “Hey, we’re better than this $#!t.”
Call out the rot. Even when it’s your own team.
Because if you’re only fighting for justice when it’s convenient, you’re not fighting for justice — you’re just playing favorites with lipstick on.
And seriously — don’t be a d!ck.