Comments on: Get off the cross, we could use the wood.

Question: Get off the cross, we could use the wood.

Tbola — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 10:57:52 -0800

What's the word for when someone tries to make themselves look charitable, or altruistic, but they are clearly acting out of other interests?

I remember an episode of the Daily Show, where they interviewed a Minuteman who surveyed the US-Canada border to keep illegals from entering the country. Despite the apparent ridiculousness of his action, he still had this false "Do you think I want to be doing this? There are many things I'd rather be doing!" air about him.
It's a trait I've noticed in a lot of people (probably myself included at times), and I'd like to know how to properly refer to it.

By: interrobang

interrobang — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 11:03:49 -0800

Faltruism?

By: bitdamaged

bitdamaged — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 11:09:54 -0800

disingenuous?

By: DevilsAdvocate

DevilsAdvocate — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 11:11:03 -0800

Not a single word, but it can be said that such people have ulterior motives. (Note the spelling, please: it's ulterior, not alterior, an all-too-common mistake.)

By: teleskiving

teleskiving — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 11:15:01 -0800

People acting this way are often referred to sarcastically as martyrs. You could try "self-proclaimed martyr" if you wanted to be unambiguous.

By: cobaltnine

cobaltnine — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 11:15:43 -0800

Calculating? Heck, I read enough sociobiology that I can't see 'altruism' as anything not involving gains for self.
When it's especially telling, public, or personally annoying, I use Anton LaVey's term 'Good-Guy Badge'.

By: argybarg

argybarg — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 11:16:46 -0800

I agree there is no one word that captures it. That said, when people call someone a "martyr" they rarely mean it genuinely. If you wanted to be extra positive you could say a "self-styled martyr."

FWIW, "disingenuous," to me, meanings "pretending not to know something one knows bloody well is true."

By: meehawl

meehawl — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 11:22:19 -0800

Acting the ~~Maggot~~ Bono.

By: loiseau

loiseau — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 11:24:17 -0800

Duplicitous?

By: smallerdemon

smallerdemon — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 11:31:19 -0800

I second bitdamaged and loiseau. Those are the two I would use.

You might also use "greedy" or "self serving".

By: trip and a half

trip and a half — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 11:34:19 -0800

Dissimulation. Or, just plain old hypocrisy.

By: xod

xod — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 11:43:33 -0800

sanctimonious

By: allelopath

allelopath — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 11:44:39 -0800

duplicitous might apply: deceptive in words or action

By: baggers

baggers — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 11:46:20 -0800

Politician? Otherwise I would go for disingenuous or ulterior motives.

By: allelopath

allelopath — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 11:47:32 -0800

oops, sorry loiseau, didn't mean to steal your thunder

By: penchant

penchant — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 11:56:05 -0800

Acting out of noblesse oblige? Although, I'm not sure that necessarily has overtly negative connotations.

By: ewkpates

ewkpates — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 12:01:03 -0800

self serving.

noblesse oblige is not ignoble... it is the responsibility nobility has to take care of the less fortunet.

By: ilsa

ilsa — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 12:09:15 -0800

If I may carry the header to its obvious conclusion, Pharisees and hypocrites.

By: russilwvong

russilwvong — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 12:35:32 -0800

Martyr complex.

By: cowbellemoo

cowbellemoo — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 13:00:47 -0800

Bad faith?^

By: solid-one-love

solid-one-love — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 14:30:56 -0800

"False charity".

Disingenuity and duplicity don't really fit.

By: argybarg

argybarg — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 15:32:05 -0800

You can be duplicitous without exhibiting the behavior described. You could, for instance, just be lying. Dittio dissimulation and self-serving.

Sanctimonious gets a little closer.

By: rob511

rob511 — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 15:47:27 -0800

adj.: meretricious
n., metaphor: façadism (ex.)

By: FelliniBlank

FelliniBlank — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 16:23:50 -0800

also pious -- in the sense of "falsely earnest or sincere," not devout.

By: Falconetti

Falconetti — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 16:52:32 -0800

psuedoeleemosynaristic?

By: JekPorkins

JekPorkins — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 17:33:21 -0800

Costanza?

Human fund?

By: stratastar

stratastar — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 17:47:33 -0800

meretriciously, duplicitously facetious. Why use one word when you can use an amalgam of confusing jargon! Hurray!!

By: ontic

ontic — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 18:01:43 -0800

I think bitdamaged has it right. "Disingenuous" is what you want for the Minuteman guy.

By: Mr. Gunn

Mr. Gunn — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 23:01:30 -0800

Get off the cross, we could use the wood.

I'm so stealing that.

By: orangemiles

orangemiles — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 03:50:11 -0800

Phillip Morris? I keep hearing how they spend more money proclaiming that they are doing good deeds than on the good deeds themselves. As in, more money on commercials about how they're telling people not to smoke than on commercials telling people not to smoke. Sheesh.