Greater Good Revisited

1966:

I suppose I’m arguing that to ignore animal issues is dangerous. In bodily terms, it’s like being passive about an illness when a deadly virus is over-taking us. We think we can ignore it and carry on as usual, doing what everyone else is doing, getting away with it, and thinking we can continue all the comforts of a consumer-istic atmosphere, without any ill effects.

If we want our society to be a strong force for good on the planet, then we have to set personal standards. We have to let our enthusiasm for the greater good move freely with the other great forces we recognise in life - altruism and optimism.

Altruism is probably not very much different to optimism, since both foresee satisfying outcomes initiated by good intentions; when you set out for good results and it works for you, you tend to feel optimistic, and as results appear so too does the meaning of altruism. Perhaps optimism is the result of setting standards for self-pleasure that are directed by an altruistic urge to be unselfishly-useful. When it works it recharges our energy. We experience the pleasure of discharging energy for others’ benefit. By being involved with each other, in that way, it often results in reciprocation and a beneficial mutual exchange.

Optimism shows up like a light. Others can’t help but see it, especially when it isn’t a show-off but simply a daily habit. And that needn’t be anything special if only because we all enjoy habits which involve some self-discipline. Just as lifeguards love to be on the beach to save lives when people get into difficulties, we all like being useful. We like to be needed. Whole relationships can surely be based on this same pleasure-service principle.

As we develop new and sometimes not-so-easy-to-install habits, for example in setting up a vegan lifestyle, the main driver is usually optimism. We look forward to a better, more pleasure-giving habit, a more useful way of living based on give and take. When we act optimistically, habits fall into place. Maybe, like kids settling in on their first day at school, new habits are a bit shaky at first. It’s optimism that gets us over the hump, in our habit-building. We are, if we did but know it, preparing for the repair-journey ahead. Perhaps we instinctively know that new habits are preparing us for change, for what we will have to get used to soon enough.