Ahh, I was just explaining the part where fetishism can coexist with hatred. Not the denial and hypocrisy.

I still fundamentally don’t understand projection all that well. I’m not sure if that is something that might happen subconsciously, instead of as a planned malicious act. The only benefits I can think of from that are as a distraction tactic from your own problems.

But I can take a crack at denial and hypocrisy in forms other than projection!

Denial (refusing even to acknowledge it to yourself): I don’t want to deal with the fact that by my own standards, I am sinful. Maybe because I don’t want to see myself as sinful. Maybe because I don’t want to give the porn up just yet, so I ignore how “wrong” it is when watching. It’s what, 5 minutes of my life feeling guilty?

Denial (refusing to acknowledge it to others): I don’t want other people to view me as sinful. I don’t want them to even know I have the slightest temptation towards LGBTQ+ porn, lest they think I too am LGBTQ+ or a supporter of them—because honestly, I’m not. Aside from this one temptation, I’m anti-LGBTQ+. I don’t want to be ejected from my community over a pro-LGBTQ+ view I don’t have. And I certainly don’t want anyone who respects my opinion to start looking into pro-LGBTQ+ things under the mistaken belief I might approve in some way. Fundamentally, letting others know I have a problem invites consequences down on me that I don’t want to deal with.

Trying to punish others for the same thing you did: I know how wrong it is. And that it deserves to be punished. But frankly I’m selfish and don’t want to experience punishment, so I’ll try to hide my own involvement or excuse it while coming down hard on others. Alternatively, it’s different when I do it from when anyone else does it, so it’s okay for me to go punishment-free but not anyone else.