We Don't Have to Accept the World as It Is

I still flash back to my first year at University, sitting in a virtue & ethics seminar learning about “ethical egoism” and discussing the idea that one should do whatever best advances one’s own interests.

I raised my hand and voiced how I felt this ethical ideology was flawed; it felt obvious to me that we shouldn’t simply look out for our own interests and forget to consider those around us.

After some back & forth between the class, the teaching assistant posed a question to us:

“Who here would say they agree or align with ethical egoism?”

To my horror, every student in that seminar raised their hand.

Every student, that is, besides me.

Could it really be that rare to believe we should consider and look out for those around us?

As time has gone on, I have come to realize that, sadly, most people in our society are only looking out for themselves. And while they may deeply consider those closest to their heart, it is easy to turn a blind eye to those with whom they hold no sentimental attachment.

This explains, in part, why most of the world is not yet vegan. And yet, it still feels ridiculous to me that we must fight so hard to defend the rights of animals.

Isn’t it so glaringly obvious we shouldn’t hurt or objectify the most innocent creatures on Earth?

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But alas, here I am, on a Thursday evening at 10:13pm, having spent all day working for animals, sitting in front of my laptop trying to write something that I’m hoping will make a meaningful impact for them. Because, for me, the injustice is so dire and urgent that it’s hard to spend one waking minute not thinking about it.

I was reflecting on that University seminar recently, and I think maybe I was too quick to judge the people in that classroom. Perhaps they aren’t actually selfish people. Perhaps they were simply influenced by the world around them.

When you look around at society, it can feel as though nobody cares. You walk through the supermarket where animal products fill every shelf. You sit in a restaurant and there’s only one vegan option out of 30. You watch television or listen to conversations where animals are referred to as “it”. After spending years surrounded by all of this, it’s no surprise you might reach the conclusion that people simply don't care.

But what if we are mistaking what is normal for what people believe is right?

Most people have grown up in a world where eating animals is normal. They have been taught that certain animals are companions and others are to be used for food, entertainment, fashion, etc. But that doesn't necessarily tell us what they would choose if the social conditions were different.

We know from decades of social science research that our behaviour is heavily shaped by what we believe other people are doing, what we think people expect from us, and what feels normal within our communities. But that also means that our own behaviour influences the people around us and our own expectations can influence what others feel comfortable doing. Social norms can heavily reinforce existing behaviours, but it also means they can be changed. Because when something starts to become more common, it can become easier for others to do it too.

The fact that an animal rights movement exists shows us that a different world is possible.

As activists, we help people see that change is possible, and gradually we alter what people understand to be normal. Before I was vegan, I was living within the same social norms as everyone else. But then someone made me question if that norm aligned with my values, and after some reflection, I realized that it didn’t. And so I changed.

Not long after, I discovered a community filled with people who were willing to dedicate their lives to animals, and I decided that’s what I had to do with my life too.

I can honestly say that after nine years of committed activism, I am more hopeful for a vegan world now than I ever have been. I am witnessing the movement shift in a way that can only be described as a feeling of magic. We are not just growing; we are uniting**.** And there is extreme power in unity.

If we continue to work together, learn from one another, and value each other as fellow community members; we will win**.** I don't know how long it will take, but I believe we are closer than we might think.

The world is full of things which once seemed normal and are now unthinkable. Things that once seemed impossible which eventually became reality.

Maybe that is what I needed to understand sitting in that seminar all those years ago. That just because something is considered socially normal does not mean it is right. And just because in this moment you feel alone, it does not mean you are; because there are plenty of other people who believe the same things you do.

We don't have to accept the world as it is. We are creating a global movement, and if enough of us join in, then one day, the things that feel so glaringly wrong to all of us will feel just as obvious to everyone else.