Do as I say, not as I do

It is true that being a good role model is very important if you want to have influence on others, but I believe that it is unfair to discredit someone who does not practice what he preaches.

In fact, I think people who have trouble practicing what they preach can be highly credible sources of knowledge and wisdom—the kind of knowledge and wisdom we cannot get from people who have no trouble sticking to their principles.

The reason is that they experience obstacles that prevent them from sticking to what they preach. They know how it feels to fall down and have to get back up over and over again. They know the difficulties that stand in a person's way towards change, so they can address them more realistically and effectively.

I think we should be cautious before labeling these people as hypocrites. We should seek to understand where they come from and what causes them to be weak.

A person who has an addiction to a substance, to food, to certain behaviors or thinking patterns will likely continue to face problems all his life.

While self-improvement can make him less susceptible, it cannot make him impervious.

Why is it that so many people do not practice what they preach?

Here's my theory: It is often because those who are passionate about a certain issue are so because they themselves struggle with it. They know more about it because they have so much experience in dealing with it, yet they still have a problem in coping with it, so they are vulnerable to failure.

Sometimes people are just genetically weak or they have a genetic tendency for addiction or psychological instability. Yet, because they have a certain problem, they read more about it and think about it then others.

Here are some examples:

A person who is overweight is a more authoritative source for information and guidance on weight loss than someone who has always been thin. She knows how it feels to be hungry all the time. She knows how it feels to try and fail, and try and succeed. She is motivated to read a lot about the topic of weight loss, so she has a lot of knowledge of different weight loss methods. She knows that pains of being overweight so she can empathize with others who have that problem.

A recovering addict (smoker, alcoholic, or drug abuser) knows more about how to kick a bad habit that someone who has never had that problem. It's easy for someone who has never smoked to say "just don't smoke", but a smoker will give more practical advice.

A sex addict or someone who is not monogamous by nature knows the kinds of temptations that get people in trouble, so he can be more realistic in addressing them.

Someone who is unstable emotionally or psychologically might give advice on these matters when he himself is "messed up". But then again, he probably reads much more on the topic than someone who is not motivated to read about them because his problems are not chronic.

People who are in poor health often have a lot of information about health, because they are motivated to search for ways to improve their health condition.

You might hear a person who practices yoga talk about its benefits and how much it improved
her health. Then you realize that she is tired all the time. That might lead you to say, "Well, so much for yoga." But, in fact, her health might have been poorer if she does not practice yoga, and she might not have been motivated to search for alternative health practices if it weren't for her desperate search for solutions. People who are in good health are less likely to be motivated to learn yoga.

Necessity is the mother of invention.

Religious scholars, like doctors, often don't practice what they preach

People often like to point to the scandals of some religious figures or emphasize the contradictions in their lives. But this is usually by people who already hate them and are looking for ways to discredit them.

But I think of religious scholars like doctors who sometimes smoke, drink, eat unhealthy foods or don't exercise, but that doesn't mean that they shouldn't be consulted. In fact, they might have more practical advice on these issues. Instead of simply telling people to quit smoking, lose weight, or eat healthy (which are things easier said than done), they might address the issues that prevent people from doing them.