why is it that people who set themselves up as moral paragons seem to have the hardest time living up to their own standards?

even if the beliefs weren’t deeply held, even if those espousing them were utterly cynical, the special vehemence that the public reserves for scolding hypocrites should be deterrence enough. And yet the steady parade of shamefaced press conferences suggests otherwise. It’s almost as if a reputation for morality is a gateway into vice.

The study of how we form opinions of our own moral worth is a budding field, and it suggests that the human mind works in powerful, subtle ways to make hypocrites out of all of us - especially those who hold themselves in the highest moral esteem. People who inveigh against a vice in others are often themselves fixated on it, and more likely to succumb to its allure. And, the research suggests, virtuous deeds are often a form of penance for thoughts a person is ashamed of.