Is The Situation Hopeless For Farmed Animals?
I was recently talking with someone about the role that hope and motivation play in our desire to get active for animals. If we believe that the situation is hopeless, and that nothing we do really makes a difference, then why should we try to help? I think a lot of people feel this way, even if they have never said or thought those exact words. These kinds of thoughts are incredibly demotivating—it doesn't feel good to feel powerless.
The truth, though, is that each one of us can and does make a difference.
There are the small, day-to-day differences that we make in the lives of ourselves, other people around us, and the animals who we engage with directly. Then there are the indirect effects based on how we engage with the marketplace. There are our donations and volunteer hours, as well, which have numerous direct and indirect effects—some measurable, but many not. And then, if you choose to get involved in business, advocacy, or politics, you may see much larger changes in the market or in public policy based directly on your work. Some of us may be fortunate in our work and trigger enormous positive changes for animals, or create ripple effects into the future that impact millions, billions, or trillions of animals. The more of us there are working to help animals, the higher the probability of these enormous successes.
Honestly, we each have way more power than is usually acknowledged. Sometimes, it's scary to use that power to try to help animals, because of various fears that we all feel (social, economic, etc.). But as soon as we acknowledge those fears, and embrace the messy process of experimentation in life, then we can help a lot of animals.
Never give up your belief that you can create meaningful change for animals, if you choose to. Because, frankly, believing that you can't make a difference is simply false. You can—and do already—create change in small ways and large. And perhaps recognizing that truth is the first step to having an even greater impact.
