10/11/2025 .

Introduction

Throughout history, one of the most persistent criticisms of leadership has been the charge of hypocrisy. The phrase “Rules for thee, but not for me” captures the practice of those in power imposing laws, standards, expectations, and moral obligations on others while exempting themselves. This form of hypocrisy undermines credibility, erodes trust, and destabilizes institutions.

Breaking the Rules Hypocrisy

“Rules for thee, but not for me” refers to double standards in leadership. It occurs when leaders present themselves as guardians of law and morality while simultaneously excusing themselves from the same standards. Authoritarian regimes, for example, demand loyalty and conformity from citizens while leaders enrich themselves or ignore the very codes they enforce. In corporations, executives often speak of ethics and compliance while violating those same principles for personal gain. Religious leaders have at times preached humility, chastity, and sacrifice, while themselves indulging in all manner of sins and vices.

Institutionalized Hypocrisy

Jesus Christ sharply condemned such hypocrisy. Of the Scribes and Pharisees, he said, “For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do to be seen of men…”[1] Pretending to be righteous, or to hold the moral high ground, whilst condemning others for their iniquities, while you yourself are even more unrighteous than they, is the very essence of hypocrisy. In modern vernacular, we sometimes refer to this as virtue signaling.

George Orwell’s Animal Farm offers a literary parallel. In the revolution against tyranny, the new rulers slowly adopt the very vices they once condemned, until they proclaim: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”[2] Hypocrisy, once tolerated, becomes normalized and even institutionalized.

Consequences of Hypocrisy

When leaders exempt themselves from the rules, they corrode trust. Citizens grow cynical, employees lose morale, and believers lose faith and confidence, not just in the institution, but in the teachings and values they have taught—even the correct ones. Thus, we see that hypocrisy not only manifests the illegitimacy of the leadership but also demoralizes and unravels the very fabric of society.

History demonstrates that once hypocrisy spreads, collapse is often inevitable. The moral legitimacy of leadership rests not only on power but on manifest virtue and accountability. Without it, authority degenerates into coercion.

The Normalization of Deviance

A crucial aspect of hypocrisy is the phenomenon known as the normalization of deviance. This occurs when leaders and individuals gradually depart from the standards they know to be right, often without suffering immediate or catastrophic consequences. As a result, behaviors that were once recognized as unacceptable become increasingly tolerated, then routine, and eventually institutionalized. Such normalization fosters a culture where hypocrisy is not merely a flaw of individuals but a structural expectation.

Sociologists and organizational theorists warn that the normalization of deviance can set off a chain reaction. As people witness leaders escaping consequences, they too begin to disregard rules and standards, assuming that deviation is permissible. Over time, the cumulative effect is mass demoralization. Institutions that once upheld integrity now reward manipulation, shortcuts, and duplicity. The result is a pervasive sense of cynicism and decline that affects every layer of society.

Conclusion

“Rules for thee, but not for me” exposes a fundamental flaw in leadership. By demanding sacrifice, morality, and discipline from others while avoiding it themselves, leaders undermine the very systems that made them great, as well as destroy faith in all the mechanisms and principles that lead to salvation.  Of such the Lord declared:

“But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.”[3]

References

Orwell, George. *Animal Farm*. London: Secker and Warburg, 1945.
The Holy Bible, King James Version.

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[1] Matthew 23:4

[2] Orwell, 1945

[3][3] Matthew 23:13 – 14

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