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Chapter 8.3 Epilogue: On Doing Animal Rights is to live in a world of wounds Animal suffering caused by humanity is so vast that it is easy at times to feel dismayed at its scale and one's seemingly tiny struggle to relieve it. How can we tackle feelings of inadequacy we may sometimes feel, especially as the years pass by? We have to arm ourselves with the right attitudes. Attitude 1: Fight Your Corner Choose a bit of the overall picture and do what you can, no matter how small your effort seems. You are not alone; everyone's input makes for the greater whole. Attitude 2: Don't Be a Slave to Emotions Emotions are not sacrosanct and we can learn to supervise them. Biologists tell us our emotions evolved to help our ancestors survive and reproduce (and thus pass on emotion-mediating genes to posterity); and a key function is that they prioritise our behaviour (if grieving a loss and spot a predator we put grieving aside and flee!). Let emotions motivate but not dominate us. Attitude 3: Perspective is Calming Cosmologists tell us we live in an ageless multiverse. What does this mean for animal rights? Animal suffering induced by intelligent creatures exists through eons on endless planets in countless universes. There is nothing we can do about this but keep calm and carry on. Attitude 4: Don't Give Up Often there is no headway trying to change someone's attitude. Then all we can do is gently plant an idea in their mind and hope it matures, perhaps years later, while we set a good example. Attitude 5: Count Our Blessings and Keep a Sense of Humour When all else fails, this always helps! ›› To Entries & Home |
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