745:
When I get thinking about my own self-development, I
first think about the repairs I need to make (which sounds dull enough!), and
then I think what that will allow me to do (not so dull). It opens the door to
being the much more creative, constructive, caring, person I want to be.
I have two things going on in my head at
the same time here - I’m doing something big for myself and something for the
greater good. It starts out with self-discipline and turns into enjoyment.
Keeping fit works in the same way - we see
the need to perhaps lose weight or tone our muscles; we do the training; we end
up proud of our efforts; we have a better body.
Working
for the ‘greater good’ sounds grim until we begin to feel the rewards of our
efforts - the selfless becomes more clearly self-benefitting - what we want for
others is what we want for ourselves. What I do for myself benefits others at
the same time. And then it occurs to us that perhaps this is true altruism, a
self generating energy which is neither me-centred nor you-centred; it’s really
just a matter of striking a balance between common interests.
Altruism is simply the most intelligent way
of organising the route we take in life. It fits the needs of myself and serves
to help global problems. Maybe we can help only in the smallest way but it’s a
start and who knows where it will lead?
In order for altruism to work we need
optimism, so we can say, “So what, if all this damage has been done? It can be
fixed”. Optimism ‘ups’ the energy, so if I feel as though I’m heading towards
something worthwhile, it won’t be because it’s right but because it’s
meaningful. It’s something I’m doing for myself and for you, and that’s
ultimately satisfying.
‘Satisfaction’
and ‘meaning’ are the big drivers here. As soon as I think I’m making a difference
(for example, by going vegan so that animals won’t be killed on my behalf) I
have taken one major step in the right direction. And if that makes me happier
about myself I can go further. Perhaps I can help others take the same step.
Why would I want to do that? Because the
‘I’ is getting closer to the ‘we’. It holds hands with the collective future,
where people will be wanting animals to be liberated.
Once
I can clean up my own act at home (establish a vegan kitchen for a start), then
I can see myself in a new way. I can look in the mirror and see myself as
others might see me. First up, I will see myself NOT as a complaisant vegan,
ready to climb the pulpit and tell everyone what sinners they are. NOT how I’ve
seen the light. NOT as a figure of fun for others to mock. Just to BE who I am
and who I want to be.
If I am now vegan that is an essentially
private term I identify with. That description of myself might mean very little
to others, but they can identify with is me as a likeable, self-effacing person
who is clear about personal aims. I don’t have to evangelise because just by
being all those things I’ll have enough confidence to communicate what ever I
want to. Naturally, I’ll want to talk about animals, food, abattoirs, the
future and many other things. Naturally I’ll want to share what I’ve discovered
in order to help build a strong support base for animal liberation. But most of
all I’ll want to be acceptable; I’ll want others to be able to identify with
the way I balance my passion and outrage with compassion and ‘outreach’, and
then to be able to hold back if the time is not right to communicate any of
this.
I know it isn’t enough to simply pass on
information to others. Everyone today is saturated with information, and
there’s so much misinformation in circulation too. Why believe anything I have
to say? If I do need to say anything then what I say should be based on facts
which can be referenced. And if the facts are a bit indigestible or if there’s
anything about what I’m saying that’s unattractive,
I’ll have to try harder to counter that. I’ll need to become approachable, so
that I can encourage others to listen. But most of all I must try to be a
likeable person. Unlikeable people give the listener a great excuse to dismiss
the information they’re keen to communicate.
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