Two-faced truths

In ancient Roman mythology, two-faced Janus was the symbol of transition between past and future, and it was in both directions that his two faces were looking at. We, modern people, would rather give it a different interpretation. When we talk about two-faced people, in fact, we mainly refer to hypocrisy. In many instances, this is actually the truth. If you know someone who pays a compliment to a person, only to gossip behind his (or her) back as soon as he leaves, you can certainly define them as hypocrites. In a wider meaning, a hypocrite is an individual who claims to have certain principles, who pretends to know what is right and what is wrong, and then behaves in the opposite way. The typical “Do as I say and not as I do” attitude! You can spot quite a few around you, can’t you?
The idea of such two-faced image makes me also think of a two-sided coin, and they both bring to mind another kind of reflection. I have often had the opportunity to notice how some people who apparently have two faces are not hypocrites at all. They, for personal reasons, choose to show two opposite sides of their personality according to different circumstances or to the environments they find themselves in.
Think of a person who is withdrawn, almost and introvert at home and who is vivacious and outspoken when he is out of the house. An explanation for such dissimilar behaviors can be provided. While outside he (or she) is appreciated and/or listened to, at home he feels that he is not receiving the attention he believes he deserves. He may also perceive his words and opinions to be overlooked, even ignored. It is also possible that at home he is compelled to live in a situation that makes him uncomfortable and therefore he is unable to assume a more cheerful attitude.
Another example. You may know someone who behaves as the so-called “barrel of laughs”. He is the soul of the party, he is witty, funny, he has a fantastic sense of humor. He shines in any social environment, while in his own private life he tends to be moody and grumpy. I have heard of some famous comedians who behave exactly in this way. But, while the actors are just playing their role and only pretend to be funny, some people are really like this. They need a public to express their talent, therefore a one-on-one situation does not provide them with the motivation they need.
When you hold a coin in your hand and look first at one side and then, flipping it, you look at the other side, can you affirm that one side is “more right” than the other? Aren’t they the two parts, aspects, representations of the same thing, of the same unit? Why cannot this be referred to a human being as well? Hypocrisy certainly exists in our world, but sometimes we are a bit too quick in judging another in this respect. It would be advisable to try and be more cautious, so that we won’t risk to misjudge someone who does not deserve it.
Finally, think about yourself. Can you honestly say that you are “the same” all the time? Do you always behave in similar ways toward everybody and in all circumstances? If you reflect for a moment, you will possibly realize that you sometimes tend to adjust your way of being, of expressing yourself, to the specific person you are dealing with or to the situation you find yourself in. As neither side of the coin is right or wrong, neither is your behavior (or someone else’s) when you try to act in what might appear a contradictory way. If, deep inside, you are a hypocrite who only tries to find excuses or justifications, you are the only one to know. You and your conscience. It is like pretending to be asleep. You are deceiving others, but certainly not yourself. Right now, here, we are talking exclusively about the “double” behavior of genuine fellow human beings.

E-mail: [email protected]
Blog: recreateyourlifetoday.blogspot.com