This morning I quietly judged a guy for driving a gas guzzling SUV while sipping an iced coffee made from beans grown in a deforested rainforest, out of a single-use plastic cup… that I bought.

I walked by, smug in my moral superiority, shaking my head at his gas-guzzling, manhood extending ego trip, all while the condensation from my own plastic cup dripped onto my non-ethically sourced leather shoes.

Later that evening, I trimmed my eyebrows and applied my $50 hyaluronic acid serum, right before opening my mouth to complain about how society preys on women’s insecurities.

We are all full of shit.

And I say that with love. Because I am too.

Hypocrisy isn’t a flaw we escape. It’s a shadow we all cast.

The truth is, we’ve all become very good at talking about values while simultaneously buying, posting, watching, or doing things that directly contradict those values.

We call out fast fashion while impulse buying on Amazon.
We critique influencers for fake lifestyles while filtering our own reality into something more palatable.
We champion mental health but ghost our friends when we’re overwhelmed.
We say we want deep conversations but scroll through shallow reels at midnight.

It’s human.
But it’s also worth examining.

Because somewhere along the way, “trying our best” started to look a lot like “not really trying at all.”

The Mirror I Pretend Isn’t Fogged

Let’s get personal.

I sometimes criticize the beauty industry for feeding insecurities, yet you should see my bathroom shelf these days. It’s a shrine to every anti-aging potion Sephora can sell me.
I shave, pluck, trim, exfoliate. I care. Too much, probably.
I say I’m working on mental health, and I am…
But I still put myself last more often than I should.
I preach “small joys” and “the little things,” but I crave new shiny things like the next dopamine-starved consumer.
I talk about being mindful with food, and then I shovel crackers into my face like I’m fueling a steam engine on a tight schedule.

The point?

We all hold contradictions. But very few of us actually confront them.

The Hypocrisy Economy

Let’s not pretend society doesn’t benefit from our moral loopholes.
The system runs on them.

The gym influencer who preaches self-love while selling skinny teas.
The politician who tweets about family values between affairs.
The company that posts a rainbow logo every June while ignoring LGBTQ+ legislation initiatives the rest of the year.
The climate activist who flies first-class to speak about reducing emissions.

It’s a giant carousel of contradictions.
And the music’s still playing.

We’ve built a culture where saying the right thing often outweighs doing the right thing.
We post black squares.
We wear pins.
We buy the tote bag.
We love to “raise awareness,” but action? That’s harder. Messier. Inconvenient.

So Now What?

Here’s where I land.

I want to question what I consume, what I post, what I support, and who I believe.
And I want to raise my kids to do the same, even if that means pointing out when I mess up too… and the fact that I still struggle every day to practice what I preach.
When does “progress, not perfection” start to sound like a hall pass for hypocrisy?
I don’t know.
But as usual, I’ll jump in hip deep.

Because I think the point isn’t to avoid hypocrisy altogether.
The point is to notice it.
Call it out.
Especially in ourselves.
And then adjust course, even if that course corrects a dozen times a day.

If You’re Still Reading…

Here’s what I’m working on. Not as advice. Just as a reminder that self-awareness can be the first revolution.

• Acknowledge my contradictions without shame.
• Apologize when I mess up, privately and publicly.
• Ask more questions than I answer.
• Support businesses that align with my beliefs. Not just when it’s convenient.
• Let go of perfection and embrace discomfort.
• Shut up and listen. Especially when I’m defensive.

If you’re a little hypocritical too, welcome.
It means you’re still evolving.

And evolution is messy.
But so is staying stuck.

So maybe the real win isn’t being right all the time.
It’s caring enough to try better.
Even when no one’s watching.