Throughout the past decade, I have gone throught the process of eating animals and feeling patronized by people saying that maybe I shouldn’t, to being a vegetarian, to being a vegetarian with a strong preference for vegan options whenever possible. While this lifestyle is quite convenient, I am considering to go all the way.
The reason for this being less the numerous rational arguments that can be brought forward, but rather the realization that they are easier to understand and defend without the tiresome activity of justifying behaviour to yourself that you can’t, really.
With every step I took, the wrongness of things I had been taking as ‘just the way it is’ became obvious to be. Suddenly, I was again able to look at an animal and see a being just like myself. I was appalled by the casual cruelty and routine dissociation from it. While I was taking part myself, I just couldn’t. I thought I was seeing clearly and understanding what was happening, but I really wasn’t.
While I firmly believe that people should be allowed to argue for things they don’t personally follow, it is just harder to gain perspective on a problem from inside. (Not to mention the deconstructive outside demand for personal moral integrity when making demands.)
I have found that, in rediscovering my empathy towards animals, my general ability to empathize grew. I became more aware of [my role in] the suffering of factory workers and ecosystems etc.
I am tired of living in cognitive dissonance. It feels good, and empowering, to at least try.
I’d be interested in your takes on my thoughts. Note: English is not my first language.
TL;DR: It is hard to name a problem you are causing.
slavery? just the way it is
child labor? just the way it is
animal cruelty? just the way it is
let the cavemen eat their meat, there’s no blood on my hands or diet
why do carnists follow this page just to troll?
Huh?
The next phase is developing a genuine “not caring too much” about the eating behavior of others. Congrats on your increase of empathy, it’ll lead to happiness, unless judgement gets in the way
Why would losing the empathy be the next step?
It’s not just the eating behavior of others, it’s needless killing of living beings purely for enjoyment, that’s not something that should just be accepted.
I think I can see it as expanding the empathy to humans that cling to the worldview they grew up with as well as the food they are used to. Change is strenuous. Plus I don’t want to put it on myself to deal with people’s reactance. I rather feel like empathizing the personal choice factor (you choose to eat animals, I choose not to, we are both valid persons) will keep people from getting their walls up too quickly.
It’s not less empathy, what I’m describing is actually MORE empathy
More empathy == not caring that people are needlessly killing animals for taste pleasure?
Yeah, you have empathy for those people, in addition to the animals
Thanks for the ‘guidepost’, I appreciate it. I’m determined to focus on things being off on a larger scale rather than attacking individuals who are just trying to live in a flawed world.
I would not call it “not caring”, it’s more like accepting the ignorance of others and not being able to change it.
Maybe it’s being humble in the face of one’s own ignorance, which is by definition unknown
Suddenly, I was again able to look at an animal and see a being just like myself.
Bit of a stretch there.
It does sound a little saucy now. Maybe I was rather looking at myself and seeing a lot of animal there. I’d pick a human life over another, with complexity as my chosen scale.
