Dumbledore's Hypocrisy Was: Re: Hermione's Hypocrisy?(long)

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 129196

Kavallas wrote:
In an earlier post, Sophie suggested that Dumbledore's advice at the 
end of OoTP was meant more practically . <SNIP>
However, I can't help but feel that that wasn't the tone of 
Dumbledore's entire speech; he advised kindness, not shrewdness. 
Although there is the whole idea that kindness will pay ou in the 
long run, I feel that Dumbledore was trying to counsel kindness for 
the sake of kindness, not for any long-term reasons.

Dumbledore's advice, then, held no real value for that time in 
Harry's life. Let us look at the situation: Harry has just lost a 
loved one (again?!). He was stunned, angry, and upset. He looked to 
Dumbledore for comfort and guidance--and was given half a chapter of 
advice on how his life (and his recently deceased father figure's 
life) could have been improved by being nice. 
<SNIP>
I think that this situation (along with many others--see the end 
chapters of virtually every other HP book) expresses Dumbledore's 
pure conceit. The utter temerity to advise a bereft and grieving boy 
of how to be kinder is impossible to grasp. Dumbledore might be 
wise, might be thoughtful, might be powerful, but he is far from 
modest. 
 
And in that, I think, there is a greater degree of hypocrisy than 
Hermione could ever express.



Alla:

Erm. I am not so sure at all. It is no secret, that just as you say, 
I also consider Dumbledore's advice especially about Kreacher to be 
given at very, very, very wrong time and place.

I do go back and forth on whether he helped Harry or not when he 
allowed him to crash his office ( it is a possibility that it helped 
Harry) but there is nothing, absolutely nothing ( in my opinion only 
of course) which can justify him saying to Harry how wrong Sirius 
was  when not even couple hours passed after man died.

If someone said something like that to me the moment after I lost 
the loved one, I am telling you this person will not be in my good 
graces for a very long time to come.

Anyways, having said all that, I don't know whether I can join you 
in calling Dumbledore a hyppocrite.

Just to make sure that I get the semantics right, I double checked 
free online dictionary ( Sometimes I get into rather big 
misunderstandings, simply because I get the definition translated 
incorrectly in my mind :-))

So, it states that Hypocrisy is " the act of pretending to have 
beliefs, virtues and feelings that one does not truly possess."

Whatever Dumbledore does or says, it seems to me that Dumbledore IS 
sincere ( when he does not hide the truth of course :-)

I do think that Dumbledore said that because he wanted Harry to 
learn from Sirius' mistakes ( again, wrong time, wrong place, zero 
knowledge of psychology, IMO, but sincerity is here).

If Dumbledore indeed wants everybody to be kind to elves, what is 
hypocritical about it? I mean, I wish I could find a good reason of 
why Dumbledore chose to say it at that moment, but I suspect that 
this was simply for the plot related reasons ( yeah, I hate this 
explanation, but cannot come up with anything better).

Besides, not only Dumbledore wants everybody to be kind to House 
Elves, but he indeed does it. Hogwarts Elves ARE treated better than 
many elves in other wizarding households.

Sure, it would be ideal if critique of Sirius attitude towards 
Kreacher would come from Dumbledore's mouth when Harry will be more 
capable of dealing with his grief, but then I guess we would have to 
wait till HBP.

Is there other definition of hypocrisy which I am not aware of?


Just my opinion and my opinion only,

Alla