Unmasking Hypocrisy: 9 Phrases Psychology Reveals Hypocrites Often Use

“I’m not mad; I’m just very disappointed.”

This sentence helps an individual express disapproval without confronting an issue directly using the passive-aggressiveness method. It leverages guilt and shame to manipulate the behavior of another  person,” psychologically speaking. In place of anger, which might be expected in this setting, disappointment acts as a trigger for remorse from the opposition side, leading to compliance with their wishes as expressed by the hypocrite.

“I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but…”

Prefacing negative comments with this phrase is a manipulative tactic used by hypocrites to soften the blow of their criticism. When considered from a psychological standpoint, it sets up anticipation for negative feedback with the minimum impact on the recipients’ cases. They would rather appear as reluctant messengers trying to break unpleasant truths so that they are not held accountable for what they say when it hurts others feelings.