Selfless or selfish

894:

When we Animal Rightists get serious about repair we like to think we’re doing something big for ourselves and something even bigger for the greater good (which in this case, of course, must include saving animals). To make this work effectively, we need some self-discipline to purposely stand aside from habit-behaviour, and avoid certain foods which are sensually attractive but morally illegitimate.

            At first this seems like a massive sacrifice (associated with discomfort). To get past this we obviously need a strongly based sense of intention. But once this first hurdle is overcome (once we’re established as vegans), we can look forward to the next level of enjoyment, towards more repair and more personal satisfaction.

Going vegan starts out as a selfless act, perhaps even the first new habit we’re truly proud of. As our efforts are rewarded, the initially selfless becomes so obviously self-benefiting that we forget that non-vegans cannot possibly see the personally beneficial side. They’ll still only see the discomfort.