Recently, I’ve gained new insights into corporate culture and interpersonal communication. I’ve long believed that doing what you think is right and being consistent inside and out are basic qualities of a person. I’ve always looked down on those who spout ideologies and morality on the surface, while being all about business at heart. Of course, I have no intention of attacking anyone. In some sense, this kind of hypocrisy is a natural instinct developed by humans for survival and self-protection. With a hint of bitterness in my heart, I’m willing to just let it slide and pretend I didn’t see anything, nine times out of ten.
By observing the behavior of politicians during elections, something triggered me to start thinking. By the way, this post has nothing to do with politics, a realm I have no interest in.
When it comes to acting, professional politicians are no less skilled than professional actors. Over the past few years, two of the leading actors in U.S. presidential elections—Hillary and former President Obama, for example—are exceptional performers. During the presidential campaigns, they fought like water dropping into hot oil, but once it was all over, they acted as if nothing had happened.
Take the 2008 election, for instance. Obama and Hillary attacked each other fiercely during the primaries, but by the end of Obama’s term, when he was campaigning for Hillary, he claimed she was the best person in the whole country to be president, even more so than her husband, Bill Clinton, or himself.
Trump was similar. During his campaign, he relentlessly attacked Obama, calling him the worst president in U.S. history. But after winning, Trump met with Obama at the White House and then said he was a pretty good guy in front of the camera, from whom he called fake news.
This behavior seems like a textbook case of hypocrisy, a moral failing. But why do these politicians not only act this way publicly but also seem utterly at ease with it? Is it because being a politician inherently involves moral decay? If so, why does the American public tolerate such inconsistency in word and deed but not corruption, lying, or perjury?
Unfortunately, this phenomenon isn’t limited to our political environment; it also appears in the workplace. I’ve dubbed these people “actors of professionalism.” Many people I encounter at work present a different face in other settings. I’ve often dismissed this behavior as hypocritical and lacking in morals. But recently, I’ve developed a new understanding.
People’s moral qualities certainly have their issues. However, if we link “adapting your words to suit your audience” to the personal morality of being inconsistent, that’s too simplistic.
The behaviors described above might not be related to morality but rather to a set of professional principles and practices. In simple terms, it’s about saying the right things in the right context. This behavior is not about the individual but a professional requirement. For example, a politician’s job involves forming and breaking alliances, continuously building and dismantling coalitions. Whether attacking or praising, it’s just part of the job, playing a specific social role without really targeting any individual.
This kind of interpersonal “hypocrisy” is, to some extent, a form of sportsmanship. It’s similar to professional boxers who, despite pummeling each other in the ring, understand that there are no personal grudges. Outside the ring, they can be friends. This is “sportsmanship.” Today, we fight side by side, but tomorrow, if I join another team and face you in the game, I must do my best to win. This, too, is “sportsmanship.”
Politicians during elections behave similarly. When they are opponents, they fight hard; when they are allies, they cooperate fully. This is the “sportsmanship” of politicians. The ability to accept this “sportsmanship” reflects the modernity of an individual and society in a very unfortunate manner.
In modern society, you often have at least two personas: a personal persona and a professional persona, which are frequently inconsistent. For instance, if you’re a service worker and having a bad day, you still need to smile at customers while on the job. This isn’t lying. Or if you’re a lawyer and detest your client, but you’ve taken their case, you must advocate for them. This isn’t selling out; it’s not a moral failing. Or if you’re a mid-level manager in a company, even if you’re compassionate, if an employee can’t keep up with the company’s growth, you should let them go. This isn’t being heartless.
Professionalism isn’t about having outstanding job skills but about separating your personal and professional personas. In the right place, at the right time, you play the appropriate role. In modern society, in a sense, everyone is an “actor.” Playing the right role in the right context isn’t hypocrisy or a moral flaw; it’s role awareness, it’s sportsmanship. So try to be fake and put your mask on, that will be lesson number one for stepping into this world.