Who are two-faced people? Split personality
Duplicity as a personality quality is a tendency, in order to please one’s own selfish, selfish interests, to show different attitudes towards the same thing depending on changing situations; the established property of saying one thing, thinking another, and doing a third.
One stranger came to the judge and complained: “Cows were grazing in the field, and one of them, a spotted one, it seems yours, tore open the belly of our cow.” What punishment can be applied in this case? - The owner has nothing to do with it. “But you can’t ask an animal for shed blood,” answered the judge. “Oh, I was mistaken, on the contrary, my cow tore open the belly of your cow,” the stranger corrected himself. Then the judge said: “Well, that’s a completely different conversation.” Come on, quickly hand me that book with a black cover.
Duplicity means that a person would like to behave truly, but behaves completely differently, and it shows. Everyone except him can see and understand everything. I want to spit when it comes to a two-faced person. Of course: he says one thing, smiles at you, agrees, but as soon as the door closes behind you, an opposite assessment is given to everything that was said. Duplicity falls into the same stinking heap with hypocrisy, double-mindedness, deceit, falsehood, deceit and pretense. In any dictionary, the word “two-faced” expresses only one meaning: hypocritical, insincere, double-minded, having, as it were, two faces. That is, a person behaves dually: with some one way, with others differently.
Duplicity should not be confused with fulfilling one's duties. We play different roles in life: for example, I am a woman, a wife, a mother, a journalist, a Russian, a citizen of Russia, etc. Naturally, I should not behave the same way at work, with my husband and with my children. A major returning from service must forget about the barracks. “Wife, stand still! The supper is ready?" - “That’s right” - “Do ten push-ups and jog to the kitchen.” It is clear that with his wife he will be soft and gentle, he has a different role. In life we can play hundreds of different roles. This has nothing to do with duplicity.
In the same way, behavior in which there is no selfishness and selfishness cannot be identified with duplicity, and the appearance of duplicity is explained by a person’s right to correctly respond to events and objects in the outside world. To respond correctly, many people need time to think, comprehend, and develop their point of view. A person could “blurt out” something without thinking, and then in a calm atmosphere, after thinking, consulting with the voice of conscience, came to a different conclusion. It would be duplicity to remain with one’s previous opinion, to remain, so to speak, “faithful” to previously spoken words. The person needs to sincerely say: “Sorry. I thought carefully and came to slightly different conclusions.”
For example, having watched the TV series “Brigada” at a friend’s house, you gave it a positive assessment: a good action movie, good actors, exciting action. But, upon reflection and reflection, you later came to the conclusion that the film was unusually harmful to young people by romanticizing gangster life. Some friends came to visit you, they started talking about the series, and you expressed to them your sharply negative assessment. It's a small world. They met your friends completely by chance and conveyed to them your opinion about the film. What will your friends think of you? You told them one thing, and to others something completely different. They don't know the real reasons for your behavior. They will start to judge. They will probably say that you are a two-faced person. In a word, the problem is that the person realized his mistake and changed his position in order to calm his conscience, his true ego, but others did not understand this.
Notice these features - in such so-called duplicity there is no benefit or malicious intent. In addition, the label of “duplicity” is always applied by the injured party. You did not behave as expected of you. And you don’t have to live up to other people’s expectations. Every person has the right to be himself, and others to be different. What really happened? Your point of view has changed. Any person can come to opposite conclusions if he has received additional information, circumstances have changed, or he simply thought everything through well. At first he had a hasty emotional reaction to the film, and then his mind kicked in and everything changed. Let's continue this story. New meeting with friends. Again the conversation turns to the film. If you, trying to be consistent and not lose the respect of your friends, speak positively about the film, then we are witnessing duplicity combined with hypocrisy in its purest form. By talking about your new idea, you are acting sincerely and honestly.
In any person, the true and false ego coexist. The true ego is guided by the voice of the soul and conscience. False ego is the force that gives us the opportunity to enjoy material life. His voice is to live for himself, that is, the voice of selfishness. This is how God created man. Whichever ego prevails in a person is how he behaves - sincerely or hypocritically, nobly or insidiously, openly or duplicitously.
Let's imagine the situation. A university professor hurries to the academic council, but is detained by a colleague from the department and begins to talk about the results of his scientific research. Having listened superficially to his colleague, the professor says: “Commendable. I approve. Leave me the materials, I will report my opinion to the head of the department.” He goes to a report and accidentally meets another colleague, who brings to his attention that the rector and vice-rector spoke extremely negatively about this scientific development. The professor’s false ego immediately perked up and said: “Do you want to live on a meager pension? Why do you need to ruin your relationship with your superiors?” and he, entering the department head’s office, said: “The work is crude. The idea is absurd and harmful. I strongly disagree." Duplicity? Without a doubt. And, let’s say, a professor, having carefully read the materials, realized that the work was really crude, that its premature implementation into practice could cause trouble - people would suffer. True ego demands that he change his position and report to his superiors a true vision of the problem. That's what he does. With the same words he expresses his opinion about the work. In both cases, what will his behavior look like for the author of a scientific development? Two-faced, dualistic. In short, duplicity is a matter of judgment and is easily confused with manifestations of truthfulness, honesty, and integrity.
Once Ranevskaya called Mikhail Novozhikhin, rector of the Theater School. M. S. Shchepkina:
- Mikhail Mikhailovich, my dear, I have a great request to you. An applicant who is terribly talented is entering your school. His last name is Malakhov. You'll have to look into it personally, he's a real gem, please don't miss it... Of course, Novozhikhin took such a high recommendation with all his attention and was personally present at the exam. Malakhov did not make any impression on him, and even, on the contrary, seemed absolutely mediocre. After much hesitation, he decided to call Ranevskaya and somehow politely and tactfully refuse her request. He had barely begun his explanations when Faina Georgievna screamed into the phone: “Well, how?” G..? Drive him in the neck, Mikhail Mikhailovich! I felt that way, honestly... But that’s what my character is like, they ask me to help and give a recommendation, but I can’t refuse anyone.
Even God Janus has become in our minds a symbol of vile duplicity, hypocrisy and lies. People have given it the wrong meaning, making it a persistent stereotype. The ancient Romans would have been extremely surprised to learn that we associate these qualities with the deity Janus. Most likely, the presence of two faces played a fatal joke on him. People, out of habit, assessed this in a “good - bad” mode, made it a stereotype, without bothering to understand that one person is looking at the past, the other at the future. Janus, Roman deity of doors; since the door is both an entrance and an exit, it leads both inside and outside the house. In addition, he was the god of contracts and alliances. Janus commanded the beginnings, his place in space is the entrance doors and gates, his place in time is the beginning of the year, the beginning of events. Before the advent of the cult of Jupiter, Janus was the deity of the sky and sunlight, who opened the heavenly gates and released the sun into the sky, and closed these gates at night.
The label of a two-faced person is always attached to the irritated false ego of another supposedly injured person. When another did not behave the way we wanted, the false ego declares: “How dare he?” We do not know the true reasons for his changed behavior or opinion and often do not want to know. The pride of the offended party becomes the real reason for labeling. Listen to people’s statements: “It irritates me when some scum behaves like this - pretends to be your best friend, but says something like that behind your back!”; “Creatures pretend to be best friends and girlfriends, then I turn away, and there is a slander. Personally, I express all my complaints in person, and do not weave intrigues behind my back. Cutting such people into two parts is death to the two-faced!”
These statements are about hypocrisy, not duplicity. Pretending to be your most faithful friend, listening to your revelations and secrets, wiping away your tears, and the next day spilling all the secrets to your friends are the habits of hypocrisy. And even in this situation, we have no moral right to condemn anyone. If you couldn’t keep your secret and told it to a friend, then why do you blame him for not being able to keep someone else’s secret?
The reason to attach the label of duplicity is explained, first of all, by pride, incomprehensible, out of control, human behavior. Duplicity is the internal vacillation of the false ego. For example, you praise coffee at a party and say that you can’t live a day without it. In the morning you go to the doctor, and he forbids you to even think about this drink, you need to take care of the pancreas. In the evening you go with a couple who were visiting yesterday to see your other friends. When it comes time for coffee, you categorically refuse, declaring that you can’t stand it. The false ego is afraid for your body and makes you behave differently. You did not consider it necessary to go into details of your visit to the doctor. Who cares? But the couple you came with will consider you a two-faced person, because your behavior is not clear to them.
The opposite of duplicity (duality) is simplicity. These are two different poles. Simplicity is freedom from mental duplicity. Since it is based on humility (complete victory over false ego), its owners are saintly persons.
A.P. Chekhov in the story “Chameleon” showed duplicity, unprincipledness and hypocrisy in all its disgusting nakedness. Chameleon is the police warden Ochumelov, who appears before the reader in the heat in a new overcoat and a bundle in his hands. The plot revolves around a dog whose owner is unknown. He changes his point of view more than once; it is clear that an internal struggle is constantly taking place within him. The police supervisor is in constant anxiety, which is manifested in his words: “Take off my coat, Eldyrin... Horror, how hot it is! It must be before the rain...”, and then: “Put on my coat, brother Eldyrin... Something blew on me with the wind... It’s chilling...” The man is humiliated, he is ready to fawn not even before the general, but before his little dog. And how his view of justice changes depending on whose “white greyhound puppy with a sharp muzzle and a yellow spot on the back”! If it’s just a dog, then Ochumelov considers it right to exterminate it: “I won’t leave it like that! I'll show you how to loosen dogs! It's time to pay attention to such gentlemen who do not want to obey the regulations! When they fine him, the bastard, he will learn from me what a dog and other stray cattle mean! I’ll show him Kuzka’s mother!” But if this is the general’s dog, then it would be more correct to do it differently: “You take her to the general and ask him there. You will say that I found it and sent it... And tell her not to let her out into the street... She may be dear, but if every pig pokes a cigar in her nose, how long will it take to ruin it. A dog is a gentle creature...” At the news that his brother had come to stay with the general, Ochumelov’s whole face “fills with a smile of tenderness.” And all just because the truth is not important to him, what is more important is admiration for the powers that be, because his future career depends on it. The name “Chameleon” is metaphorical: Ochumelov changes his attitude towards the puppy depending on whose puppy it is.
They say that once a man and a satyr decided to live in friendship. But then winter came, it became cold, and the man began to breathe into his hands, bringing them to his lips. The satyr asked him why he was doing this; The man replied that this is how he warms his hands in the cold. Then they sat down to dinner, and the food was very hot; and the man began to take it a little, bring it to his lips and blow. The satyr asked again what he was doing, and the man answered that he was cooling the food because it was too hot for him. Then the satyr said: “No, friend, you and I cannot be friends if both warmth and cold come from the same lips.”
Petr Kovalev 2013
As it turns out, I am very close to two-faced people. Today I want to talk about why some people become like this.
Sister or her other self
I have a cousin Irina. She's a little younger than me. We were friends throughout our childhood and youth. Now we only communicate occasionally, meeting at relatives’ houses on holidays. The sister turned out to be a very selfish person, and this selfishness contributed to her duplicity.
Irina has been like this since childhood. She smiled openly at me, invited me to come play with new dolls or read books. And then she told other children nasty things about me. I didn't notice it then.
And when the neighbor boys tried to open my eyes, I didn’t believe that my sister could be like that, and I was offended by the guys.
At the time of my wonderful youth, I received my sight. Once I heard Irina’s tales with my own ears. She had her back to me and didn’t see me approach. It was about me and one guy from our company. Irina said that I was running after him, that I was “hanging myself” on the guys, that they should stay away from me.
I realized that Irina just likes that same guy, that’s why she talks about me like that. But I didn’t like that she was spreading such gossip. When I called her for a frank conversation, my sister didn’t even deny anything.
Imagine, it turns out that she was friends with me because I am a good student, and because of this a lot of girls and boys talk to me. And even as a child, she told them that she let me copy, that’s why I have “4” and “5” in my diary.
And when guys started paying attention to me, she fought them off with gossip. I showed everyone how kind and good she is, and how bad I am. We had a huge fight that evening and have hardly spoken since then. But the most interesting thing is that all my relatives think that it was I who offended “poor Ira.”
Are you my friend or what?
At the institute I became friends with one girl. Until my last year, Olesya was my friend. And I, a naive soul, believed that we had real friendship. But Olesya just used me.
Olesya seemed to me such a kind girl, trying to help everyone, that I even envied her. She took care of her sick grandfather for a whole month. And I rewrote lectures for her and did tests and a course project for her.
And my friend also helped a shelter for homeless animals, so she didn’t have time to complete the internship and write a report on it. Out of the kindness of my heart, I did everything for her. 
Olesya told her classmates how “holy simplicity” I am, and that I would also write her thesis for free and with an “excellent” grade. Perhaps this would have been the case if it were not for the teacher who was my graduate supervisor. She quite harshly forbade me to communicate with the party girl Olesya until I handed in my finished diploma project.
That ban revealed the whole truth. My friend was indignant and shouted that she had hoped so much that I would write her a paper, but I had let her down. This is how, with the help of duplicity, she completed her studies until she defended her diploma.
Have you ever met two-faced people? Why do you think they were like that to you?
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Very often in our world we hear irritated speech from people about a person’s behavior. “Yes, he is a hypocrite! How dare he?! He's just wearing a mask! He's a chameleon man! He's a two-faced man!" - these are the accusations one hears almost every day. And, probably, hardly any of you thought about the lexical meaning of these words. A hypocrite, a chameleon man, a two-faced man... What is the meaning of these mysterious words???
Very often we have to encounter many people in life, communicate with them, find an approach to each of them. And, after observing a person, you can notice that each person is individual, each has his own stereotype and character. Character...Yes, it sounds tempting, and not everyone can reveal a person’s character and not always! In general, in terms of development, man has surpassed all life on Earth! Some of you are very calm, balanced, before saying anything, think about your words several times, very tactful. And there are people who are more emotional in their behavior: they are quick-tempered, hot-tempered in their temperament, direct in their conversation. There are people who are kind, not indifferent to the problems of others, and are impressionable. And there are people who don’t give a damn about everything except themselves, people who are ready to do anything for their own benefit, to “go over the heads” of all humanity; these are selfish people. There are people who are proud, arrogant, and hypocritical. Yes, there are too many character traits of a person, it is impossible to describe everything in one sentence. Currently, people are divided into 4 groups based on their temperament: choleric, sanguine, phlegmatic, melancholic. Many of you are probably already familiar with this typology of people.
Choleric. A distinctive feature of a choleric person is strong emotions and rapid changes in mood. That is, one minute you can be very cheerful, then wilt, and then start getting angry. At the same time, he himself may not understand why he just laughed and is now crying. The movements are sharp, the voice is loud, the speech is fast. He quickly gets excited to do something and can quit just as quickly. The mobility of the choleric nervous system is greater than its inhibition. When starting something, he puts all his energy into it, quickly becomes exhausted and gives up because there is no more strength left. For example, he may rewrite an article several times and still not finish the unfinished one. It is undesirable for choleric people to choose work that requires monotony. It will be interesting for them for a while, and then they will get bored. In the first place for them are types of activities that involve communication with people. A choleric person has a strong, unbalanced, mobile nervous system.
Sanguine. One can say about a sanguine person that he is cheerful and energetic, spreading joy and warmth around him. Like a choleric person, emotions are strong and mobile, but balanced. That is, he is outwardly very active, but inside he is calm. If failure occurs, then the sanguine person, due to his qualities, quickly comes to his senses and continues to live as if nothing had happened. A sanguine person does what he wants and because of this he cannot stay in one place for a long time. At the same time, he has enormous efficiency. And if he does something, he does it avidly, at one time. This type of temperament is characterized by a good mood, so sanguine people easily get along with other people. The movements are fast, like those of choleric people. Hasty speech and loud voice predominate. The body structure is full, like the Chinese Hotei - fat and cheerful. Sanguine is Hotei. Sanguine - the nervous system is strong, mobile, balanced.
Melancholic. A melancholic person is a sad person who behaves in such a way that he is about to cry. Sadness spreads around him for many meters. Thoughts in the head of a melancholic person about the inevitable and necessarily sorrowful. It is noteworthy that all this happens inside and is almost invisible from the outside. If you offend him, then little will be reflected on his face and body, but a deep wound will remain in his soul. Outwardly, melancholic people look thin, sad and fussy. They are drawn to people and react very well to what is happening around them. At the same time, they quickly fall into emotions and cannot control them. Mostly they are afraid or sad. They do what others say. For example, melancholic girls read advice in women's magazines and follow them impeccably. In our society, a typical example of melancholic people is the subculture of emo kids. Melancholics are best at activities not related to the emotional sphere - programming, design, accounting. Melancholic is a weak, mobile, unbalanced type of nervous system.
Phlegmatic person. We can say about a phlegmatic person that he is very leisurely. His emotions are slow and very difficult to move from one position. He laughs a little and gets irritated, is almost always calm and it is difficult to get him out of this state. When he talks about something, it is without any emotion, monotonously, so it is difficult to communicate with them. A phlegmatic person accumulates emotions in himself and, when a turning point comes, he splashes them out. There is a sense of solidity and confidence in his every movement. A phlegmatic person thinks and makes decisions for a very long time, but once he has made a choice, he will not give up on it. Once in a new environment, a phlegmatic person will most likely be lonely, as he needs time to get used to the situation. He will communicate with those people with whom he is familiar and will prefer not to notice others, because they create discomfort for him. For a phlegmatic person, the best thing would be monotonous, constant work, without changing the type of activity. Here he will prove himself better than others, because he is very efficient when he gets into the rut. An example of a phlegmatic person is the Terminator. A phlegmatic person has a weak, balanced, inert nervous system.
Where can two-faced people be classified? And what is their behavior in society? In my opinion, these are artificial people, unnatural people, empty people... People who play roles, like in the theater, people who “wear masks.” These people are chameleons who change their color depending on the best location... These are two-personal people... People who try to get into our soul, and then, at a convenient moment for them, stick a knife in the back... At first these people are very kind in relation to us. They are, I would say, very cunning and smart, and these two words will be used as synonyms. Such people will try to gain our trust if they need it. And then, they will develop a strategy against our own words or actions. They will use our speeches against ourselves, but they will do it very carefully, having thought through every detail first, they will use their weapons exactly at the right moment and at the right hour. And perhaps they will present “their gift” right before our eyes, or they will do it behind our back... Yes, it’s a shame, but it happens that the people to whom you reveal your inner world end up betraying us, but we won’t understand it right away ...They will act very carefully...They will smile sweetly at us, but they will put some kind of pig behind our back, we won’t even have time to sneeze.
And yet, is duplicity a norm or a diagnosis? Duplicity is a norm rather than a diagnosis. A person plays certain roles. Sometimes during the performance of one role a contradiction arises with the functions of another. This is where duplicity arises. That is, the contradiction of social roles defines a person as insincere. But it is not so. Changing conditions requires changing roles - masks, and within the framework of one role a person does not deceive anyone. Another situation is when a person changes masks not due to changed conditions, but for fun, due to his natural artistry, without any particular need. In this case, duplicity is more of a diagnosis. And most often, people's duplicity is their diagnosis. But I think this is a treatable diagnosis. I believe that everything in our world is returning to normal. All the evil they ever did to us will come back to them. For “the evil emitted by you will certainly return to you” - such is life.
A lot has been said and written about human duplicity and hypocrisy. Traditionally in society, the words “two-faced person” mean a certain cunning and cunning that is hidden under a mask. Such people usually say one thing, think something else, and do something else. And you often have to ask the question: why is this, what causes this behavior? Every person has met two-faced people along their path. For some, this quality does not appear immediately; for others, it shows itself already in the first stages of communication.
What does a two-faced person mean?
The main problem is that not every person realizes the extent of his problem, committing such actions unintentionally, by accident. Psychologists note that usually such problems are based on the individual’s banal internal fears. Lack of self-confidence and dependence on other people’s opinions give rise to the fear of being oneself. This also includes the fear of failure. Usually, all these fears are ingrained in a person from childhood, and modern society imposes its values and principles on us. Everyone around you teaches you how to live correctly. We hear every day about what is right and what is wrong, from TV, the Internet, newspapers. We try to live up to someone else's ideals and forget about who we really are. If a person’s character lacks willpower, purpose, and motivation in life, if he constantly faces only failures, then he immediately begins to look for guidelines in society. Such people can be two-faced only because they are afraid to show themselves as they really are.
How to recognize duplicity?
If you understand the meaning of the word “duplicity” itself, we can conclude that an individual has several different models of behavior. Usually, ordinary outside observers bring such people to light. This is because two-faced people behave completely differently and navigate the situation. Such people can have a sincere conversation with you, treat what is said with understanding and interest, and after some time communicate just as nicely with your enemies, despite the fact that just a moment ago they condemned them.
How to spot a hypocrite?
And then the question arises in my head: “Why is this so?” You can identify a two-faced person by the following characteristics:
- He behaves unnaturally.
- Often flattering.
- He is looking for a strong patron and changes companies too often in search of something better.
- He strives to please everyone, regardless of whether he likes the person or not.
Such people usually find it difficult to communicate with people; on a subconscious level, they try to avoid quarrels, disputes and try in every possible way to resolve the situation in their favor.
How do they behave?
First of all, try not to judge, but to understand the two-faced person. Look at him through the eyes of an impartial psychologist, try to understand why the person behaves this way. After all, perhaps he needs banal outside help. You should avoid communicating with two-faced people only if the hypocrisy is negative, even malicious, when the person is being a hypocrite intentionally. Such people should not lay out everything in their hearts, bare their souls and tell sensitive details of their lives. It’s better to try to get the person to talk more about himself; unexpected questions can unsettle a two-faced person, and he will begin to behave more naturally. Sometimes hypocrites simply do not realize what they are doing, in which case you need to help the person look at himself and the situation from the outside. Often, if the hypocrisy was unintentional, a person will forever lose the desire to do such things.
How to deal with duplicity?
What should you do if, after reading the article, you have a strong opinion that the named “symptoms” of the problem are present in you too? Do not despair, and it is better to immediately tackle the problem. Admitting a flaw is already a big step in the process of solving the problem, because a malicious hypocrite will never admit his duplicity. If you humbly agree that sometimes you can be deceitful, then you can still help and eradicate the bad habit. Psychologists advise doing the following exercise. In a calm environment, without distractions, ask yourself why you are doing this, what motivates you, what motivates you to such actions. Think about whether you are satisfied with your life and whether your environment suits you. Think about what prevents you from achieving certain heights and showing yourself only from the best side. Don’t be afraid of mistakes and failures, accept that they happen to every person. Start doing what reflects your inner world and your beliefs, and not the opinions imposed by others. Find moral guidelines and goals in your life. Understand them clearly and move forward by sticking to them. And if you honestly act in accordance with these simple rules, you will quickly see that they work.
What could be the consequences?
If the problem is not addressed, it can seriously harm the person in the future. A two-faced person develops mental disorders and depression over time. He is always forced to hide his feelings and, due to distrust from others, stops communicating with many friends. But do not forget that every person can be two-faced to one degree or another.
Quotes about two-faced people
A huge number of books have been written in this world and a considerable number of films have been shot, which in one way or another touch on the issue of duplicity. Many famous personalities spoke about this problem. Here's how Shakespeare spoke about duplicity:
A deceitful face will hide everything that a treacherous heart has in mind.
Here's what another writer, Francois de La Rochefoucauld, said:
Hypocrisy is the tribute that vice is forced to pay to virtue.
The best statuses about two-faced people are as follows:
We are different, disputes are inappropriate here. Some are a monster on the outside, but a child at heart, some are behind bars, with an honest heart, and some with a vile heart, and a judge!*** Some people are like pistachios: at first you barely open them, and then something else is revealed, that it’s empty inside!***Don’t rip people’s masks off. What if they are muzzles!***It’s better to spit directly in my eyes than into the soul behind my back.***Alas, duplicity is an infection... passed on from century to century. And without blinking an eye... yes... the person is being hypocritical!
This problem actually worries many people. Don't stand aside, and perhaps there will be fewer two-faced people in the world.
Duplicity is a negatively connoted behavior that implies excessive moral flexibility and unprincipledness. Despite the fact that society, in principle, is loyal to the right of every person to have one or more “masks” for different occasions, two-faced people are perceived with disapproval and condemnation. What is the difference between the usual ability to adapt to them and duplicity?
Society makes certain demands on its members regarding relationships and... These requirements, in particular, include the ability to admit that one is wrong, to look at the situation from the opponent’s point of view, and the art of being interested in other people. All these qualities are recommended to be developed by psychologists and communication specialists, since they can really facilitate the communication process, making it more effective. However, at the same time, society values people who know how to defend their position, principles and beliefs. It is paradoxical that despite all the demand for conformists, the admiration of society is caused by those who are able to fight for their views. The fact is that strength of character and reluctance to change one’s point of view to please the majority is a necessary component for the development of human society. Almost all famous scientists were nonconformists, ready to do anything to defend their beliefs.
In ancient Roman mythology, there was the gatekeeper god Janus, who, according to legend, had two faces. Over time, the expression “two-faced Janus” became synonymous with a two-faced person, although God himself was not accused of anything like that.
Lack of principles does not look good on anyone
As for duplicity, it represents the ultimate form of conformism, that is, the ability to adapt at a reflex level. There is a saying “as many people as there are so many opinions,” and the problem with two-faced people is that they try to support all these opinions. This tactic is effective only until two people with opposing opinions enter into a discussion in the presence of the “hyperconformist,” especially if he has previously expressed support for both. Regardless of whose point of view ultimately turns out to be correct, his reputation will suffer, since people rarely respect those who are unable to adhere to their views with any degree of firmness.
. The significant difference is that it is common for hypocrites to motivate their selfish actions with noble goals.
Of course, to a large extent, people are forced to be duplicitous by society itself, which sometimes demands opposite things from its members: the ability to socialize on the one hand, and integrity on the other. This inevitably leads to people trying to please all stakeholders, paying for it with their reputation. However, you should not look for forced reasons for duplicity. Some people are able to change their principles without any external influence, simply “according to their mood.” It is this kind of behavior that causes particular condemnation. In the end, one can understand a person who abandoned certain views at the risk of health or life, but those who easily switch from one opposing side to another of their own free will, as a rule, are despised on both sides.