Why do people who act morally superior or moralize tend to be bad/annoying?

[Adrian Fomble]

Why is it that people who assume or think they're morally supreme over everyone else and tries to claim the pureness of their morality are always annoying, obnoxious, terrible, and why is it when people who try to moralize everyone and everything end up being the least likely to be moral people? Why do people tend to hate self-righteousness? And why is it a person who thinks they're good and righteous and tries to preach righteousness (regardless if they actually practice it or not) and pretend they're never wrong or immoral seem and feel more unbearable and toxic than those who actively say or do bad things to others for the sake of trying to be bad? Why is hiding behind "moral superiority" or morality always so easy for everyone to do when they have no other arguments or ways to prove themselves better? Why is moral grandstanding one of the most repulsive and disdainful things in terms of attitude and behavior?

[JackDaw]

Why is it that people who assume or think they're morally supreme over everyone else and tries to claim the pureness of their morality are always annoying, obnoxious, terrible, and why is it when people who try to moralize everyone and everything end up being the least likely to be moral people? Why do people tend to hate self-righteousness? And why is it a person who thinks they're good and righteous and tries to preach righteousness (regardless if they actually practice it or not) and pretend they're never wrong or immoral seem and feel more unbearable and toxic than those who actively say or do bad things to others for the sake of trying to be bad? Why is hiding behind "moral superiority" or morality always so easy for everyone to do when they have no other arguments or ways to prove themselves better? Why is moral grandstanding one of the most repulsive and disdainful things in terms of attitude and behavior?

Never trust a man who doesn’t cheat the taxman, given half a chance. Such people are “too good to be true”.

Partly joking.

And I certainly can relate to your view that the “holier than thou” brigade can be deeply irritating.

But I think there can be far worse traits. Put it this way...if one of my own brothers or sisters threw acid in somebody else’s face, I would do everything I could do to see them jailed. It is that sort of extreme and mindless violence that sickens me far more than hypocrisy.

[Coin Biter]

Ah, the old saying that “hypocrisy is the homage that vice pays to virtue”. If someone is pretending to a righteousness they don’t have, they are at least acknowledging that these values have importance.

I don’t know why self righteousness can be so annoying, but I can think of a number of Captain America appearances that convince me that it is

[Coin Biter]

Ah, the old saying that “hypocrisy is the homage that vice pays to virtue”. If someone is pretending to a righteousness they don’t have, they are at least acknowledging that these values have importance.

I don’t know why self righteousness can be so annoying, but I can think of a number of Captain America appearances that convince me that it is

[MyriVerse]

That's just your guilt talking. REPENT!

[Trey Strain]

When a person make a big show about his being righteous, you should be suspicious of him.

[DrNewGod]

In my experience, the hypocritically pious are unhappy people with serious insecurities. They behave annoyingly to be certain everyone sees how righteous they are.

[4saken1]

Introspection is never a strong suit with people like this. They often put a much higher moral emphasis on the 'sins' that other people commit than the ones they themselves are guilty of. Any bad behavior they are guilty of pales in comparison to that of others. Their ability to rationalize the indefensible seems to have been cultivated from a very young age. I've always found it odd how very few people who claim to be Christians actually make even the slightest effort to remain abstinent until marriage, are pro death penalty, vehemently support turning away foreigners seeking asylum, etc.

[Adrian Fomble]

I know that in a debate, that people who act like that are even worse. I mean is trying to play the morality card a reliable tactic in debating? I want to know more perspectives on this.

[worstblogever]

[Adrian Fomble]

When a person make a big show about his being righteous, you should be suspicious of him.

What about simply demonizing you just because you think differently than him?

[The Darknight Detective]

Never trust a man who doesn’t cheat the taxman, given half a chance. Such people are “too good to be true”.

Partly joking.

And I certainly can relate to your view that the “holier than thou” brigade can be deeply irritating.

But I think there can be far worse traits. Put it this way...if one of my own brothers or sisters threw acid in somebody else’s face, I would do everything I could do to see them jailed. It is that sort of extreme and mindless violence that sickens me far more than hypocrisy.

Agreed. Hypocrisy is overblown as a sin in some circles, IMO (that's not even counting the fact that it's often defined incorrectly, too).

[wjowski]

Read the description you wrote and just imagine having to suffer that person's presence. That's why.

[Adrian Fomble]

Are there any groups or people that you guys know tend to moralize A LOT to the point of harming others?

[Adrian Fomble]

What do you guys think of this article?

https://aeon.co/ideas/moral-grandsta...-all-of-it-bad