The Hypocrisy Trap: How Changing What We Criticize Can Improve Our Lives

by Michael Hallsworth

Overview

How our desire to stamp out hypocrisy is backfiring—and how learning to target our criticisms better can improve our politics, business, and personal relationships.

In our increasingly distrusting and polarized nations, accusations of hypocrisy are everywhere. But the strange truth is that our attempts to stamp out hypocrisy often backfire, creating what Michael Hallsworth calls The Hypocrisy Trap. In this groundbreaking book, he shows how our relentless drive to expose inconsistency between words and deeds can actually breed more hypocrisy or, worse, cynicism that corrodes democracy itself.

Through engaging stories and original research, Hallsworth shows that not all hypocrisy is equal. While some forms genuinely destroy trust and create harm, others reflect the inevitable compromises of human nature and complex societies. The Hypocrisy Trap offers practical solutions: ways to increase our own consistency, navigate accusations wisely, and change how we judge others’ actions. Hallsworth shows vividly that we can improve our politics, businesses, and personal relationships if we rethink hypocrisy—soon.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780262384988
Publisher:	MIT Press
Publication date:	10/14/2025
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Michael Hallsworth is a leading figure in applying behavioral science to real-world challenges. For the last 20 years he has been an official and an advisor for governments around the world. The coauthor of the book Behavioral Insights, he built a 250-person consultancy business and has held positions at Princeton University, Columbia University, Imperial College London, and the University of Pennsylvania.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“In The Hypocrisy Trap, Michael Hallsworth reveals the hidden psychology of double standards—not to excuse them, but to help us navigate them. Bracing, insightful, and quietly optimistic, this book makes you feel smarter about human behavior on nearly every page.”
—Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times best-selling author of Drive, When, and The Power of Regret

“We’ve all been guilty of calling out someone else’s hypocrisy while quietly ignoring our own flaws. The Hypocrisy Trap confronts this issue head-on—and shows how we can break the cycle of accusations. If you’ve ever felt that we should be dealing with each other differently, this book provides the guide.”
—Annie Duke, author of Thinking in Bets and Quit

“Not all hypocrisy is bad. Michael Hallsworth reveals why tolerating some contradictions may be the price of functioning democracies and healthy relationships.”
—Jay Van Bavel, Professor of Psychology, New York University; coauthor of The Power of Us

“We’re quick to accuse others of hypocrisy, of failing their own values and playing both sides. But in The Hypocrisy Trap, Hallsworth flips the script: the real danger isn’t hypocrisy—it’s our panic about it. Seeing hypocrisy everywhere turns us cynical and makes honest striving look suspicious. This book is a sharp, clear-eyed case for backing off the moral outrage and learning to live with the gap between who we are and who we want to be.”
—Kurt Gray, Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; author of Outraged

“The Hypocrisy Trap offers a thoughtful exploration of our deeply human tendency to abhor hypocrisy—and the unintended consequences that can follow. Blending real-world examples with insights from behavioral science and philosophy, Hallsworth proposes a more constructive way to understand and respond to hypocrisy than simply following our instincts.”
—Katy Milkman, James G. Dinan Professor, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania; author of How to Change

"For businesses, the trust of your customers can be destroyed in a moment - and nothing destroys trust like accusations of hypocrisy. In The Hypocrisy Trap, Michael Hallsworth shows how it doesn’t need to be this way. Companies can make smarter commitments; consumers can adopt more realistic expectations. Strengthening trust in this way is a recipe for a stronger economy and a more resilient society."
—Alison Taylor, Clinical Associate Professor, New York University Stern School of Business; author of Higher Ground

Editorial Reviews

“In The Hypocrisy Trap, Michael Hallsworth reveals the hidden psychology of double standards—not to excuse them, but to help us navigate them. Bracing, insightful, and quietly optimistic, this book makes you feel smarter about human behavior on nearly every page.”
—Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times best-selling author of Drive, When, and The Power of Regret

“We’ve all been guilty of calling out someone else’s hypocrisy while quietly ignoring our own flaws. The Hypocrisy Trap confronts this issue head-on—and shows how we can break the cycle of accusations. If you’ve ever felt that we should be dealing with each other differently, this book provides the guide.”
—Annie Duke, author of Thinking in Bets and Quit

“Not all hypocrisy is bad. Michael Hallsworth reveals why tolerating some contradictions may be the price of functioning democracies and healthy relationships.”
—Jay Van Bavel, Professor of Psychology, New York University; coauthor of The Power of Us

“We’re quick to accuse others of hypocrisy, of failing their own values and playing both sides. But in The Hypocrisy Trap, Hallsworth flips the script: the real danger isn’t hypocrisy—it’s our panic about it. Seeing hypocrisy everywhere turns us cynical and makes honest striving look suspicious. This book is a sharp, clear-eyed case for backing off the moral outrage and learning to live with the gap between who we are and who we want to be.”
—Kurt Gray, Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; author of Outraged

“The Hypocrisy Trap offers a thoughtful exploration of our deeply human tendency to abhor hypocrisy—and the unintended consequences that can follow. Blending real-world examples with insights from behavioral science and philosophy, Hallsworth proposes a more constructive way to understand and respond to hypocrisy than simply following our instincts.”
—Katy Milkman, James G. Dinan Professor, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania; author of How to Change

"For businesses, the trust of your customers can be destroyed in a moment - and nothing destroys trust like accusations of hypocrisy. In The Hypocrisy Trap, Michael Hallsworth shows how it doesn’t need to be this way. Companies can make smarter commitments; consumers can adopt more realistic expectations. Strengthening trust in this way is a recipe for a stronger economy and a more resilient society."
—Alison Taylor, Clinical Associate Professor, New York University Stern School of Business; author of Higher Ground

"Hallsworth offers a new moral vocabulary and provocative exploration of when hypocrisy is harmful and when it is simply inconsistency that makes us human. The Hypocrisy Trap reminds us that those without sin can cast the first stone. This is a timely, fundamentally humane book that points the way to a more honest, forgiving, and principled society."
—Michael Muthukrishna, author of A Theory of Everyone: The New Science of Who We Are, How We Got Here, and Where We're Going

From the Publisher