Nearly everyone thinks it is a bad thing to be a hypocrite, because it is profoundly dishonest to pretend to have moral standards that you do not actually have. But pretending you are better than you are is evidence that you still accept the moral principles you have failed to follow. So it is better than being shameless about your moral failings. Perceived in this way, hypocrisy can be considered to be a virtue. Being a hypocrite shows you feel a need to hide some aspect of your life because it would be too embarrassing to allow it into the open. Many hypocrites wish they were the people they pretend to be: so perhaps one day they will succeed.