"Ostentation is the signal flag of hypocrisy"

Ostentation, excessive or pretentious display, serves as a visual proclamation of one’s alleged virtues, achievements, or possessions. When Edwin Hubbel Chapin calls ostentation the “signal flag of hypocrisy,” he draws a vivid comparison to ships at sea sending clear, visible messages through flags. Ostentation functions in a similar fashion: those who wish to be seen, admired, or revered for qualities they may not truly possess, wave the metaphorical flag of external show. Rather than functioning as an honest indicator of internal character, ostentation becomes a deliberate attempt to manipulate the perceptions of others.

Hypocrisy involves a disconnect between what one professes or displays and what one genuinely believes or practices. The ostentatious person adopts the signs and symbols of virtue, generosity, or success for public consumption, regardless of their actual inner substance. Thus, a person may loudly donate to charity only for the applause, or parade piety for social respect, masking selfish motives or moral emptiness beneath polished surfaces.

Chapin’s phrase underscores the inherent deception involved whenever appearance trumps authenticity. It suggests that ostentation seldom accompanies genuine virtue; instead, it often serves to conceal its absence. The “signal flag” is a deliberate construction, a smoke signal or beacon, meant to draw attention, to distract, and to persuade others of an image more flattering than the truth. In society, such displays foster a culture where image outweighs substance, and where authenticity becomes rare.

True integrity, Chapin implies, requires modesty and consistency between intention and action. Excessive display is more likely to be a red flag, an invitation to question the motives beneath the shine. Ostentation, as the “signal flag of hypocrisy,” warns the perceptive observer to look beyond the surface and question whether virtue, goodness, or achievement are genuine or merely projected façades.