false position

British  

noun

1. a situation in which a person is forced to act or seems to be acting against his principles or interests

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Example Sentences

Newcastle are 12th and have been very average at times, but they strike me as being a team who are in a false position, compared to what they are capable of.

From BBC

If you think having to be polite at the going-away party for a voluntarily departing employee puts you in a false position, Miss Manners worries what will happen when you have to tell your valued assistant that the company cannot afford to give him a raise.

From Washington Post

“The deadliest thing about being rich is it isolates you. It puts you in a false position — you either feel guilty or superior. The loneliest people I know are rich. And,” she adds laughing, “some of them never pick up the check.”

From Los Angeles Times

To some extent it’s a false position: at times they have looked excellent, especially in beating Everton and Manchester United, but they have also suffered exasperating defeats against Watford and Wolves among others.

From The Guardian

Among this good company I should have felt myself, even if I hadn’t robbed the pantry, in a false position.

From Literature