Viral Tumblr Thread Explores The Moral Dilemmas Of Trying To Lead An Ethically Correct Life
More and more, people are growing conscious of their consumer decisions, especially ones that have a moral aspect to them. We do mean refusing to buy things that have questionable origins or that have a story of abuse or animal rights infringement or the like attached to them.
And though refusing to support the evils of the world is an inherently good and responsible thing, the idea itself can become a serious burden—you can start questioning everything to such a degree that it will have an impact on your decision making. If not more.
Tumblr has been discussing this, with two users in particular raising and answering the question of morality and ethics in modern life.
More Info: Tumblr
While more and more people are growing ethically and morally conscious, doing so may become a burden
Image credits: Tareq Salahuddin
User rubyvroom went to Tumblr to ask a series of questions that pertain to modern morality and ethics when it comes to everything from spending money and hence supporting something in that regard.
One Tumblr user pointed out just how crazy it can get thinking about all of the things we ought to think about before doing anything
Image credits: surelytomorrow
She asked thought-provoking questions like “Can I watch a great film knowing the actresses in it were terrorized and mistreated the entire time?”, “Can I watch a football game knowing that the players are getting brain injuries right before my eyes?”, and “Can I listen to my favorite albums anymore knowing that the singers were all beating their wives in between studio sessions?”
She pointed out just how much we need to think before making such decisions, so as to avoid empowering all that is wrong with the world. And, just like the paragraph of questions implies, it can drive a person to overthink, at the very least.
Yep, the feeling is mutual… erm, OK, more like universal
Image credits: surelytomorrow
However, another user, surelytomorrow, shared their take on these things, effectively saying that people don’t, and shouldn’t be so hardcore when it comes to buying things.
However, another user pointed out how this is actually ‘activist guilt’ and how taken to an extreme it would be anything but good
Image credits: surelytomorrow
“On one hand, it’s a privilege to be able to choose to acknowledge these horrors or not–we’re going to acknowledge that privilege. On the other hand, I once attended a lecture […] and [the speakers] had a lot of opinions about what we could do to help […]. And she looked at me and told me not to fall into the trap of ‘activist guilt.’”
They go on to elaborate that we should do what we can, as it’s better than the two extremes—not doing anything at all, or doing everything and eventually giving up because it’s too much.
Image credits: surelytomorrow
And, as long as one has a choice to support good things, perfect, do it, but it doesn’t have to be absolute because no society is pure, and hence we need to make the best of it by doing the best that we can and not beating ourselves up for not being able to attain an unattainable ideal.
It all boils down to trying out best without going overboard because nothing is inherently pure
Image credits: surelytomorrow
The Tumblr thread soon went viral. Since being posted, it has managed to garner over 220,000 likes and reblogs.
You can check out the thread here, but before you go, let us know what you thought of this in the comment section below!
It’s okay to cut yourself some slack and choose your battles, as long as you choose some battles you really believe in. Stand for something, not everything.
i'm stuck in this wrt a whole lot of things right now: the environment, social justice, covid, etc, etc. It's exhausting even trying to be reasonable without going overboard, and at the same time seeing how few people around me bother to even do the minimum makes it so much worse. I can double mask and social distance all i like, but when most people are running around like we're back to normal, even people who i know and who should know better, it feels pointless. I'm still going to do it, but i can't lose the depression that comes from knowing that my efforts aren't accomplishing anything.
In many small ways, I can only rationalise that if my efforts aren't accomplishing anything, at least I'm not making things worse.
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I try to source everything I need, primarily second hand, and if that isn't possible or plausible, from a local seller. I'm saving stuff like clothes and furniture from ending up in a landfill. Some of our thrift stores are also for charity and I know it hasn't traveled very far from it's last home to mine. It's funny how in some ways being an environmentalist can save you a lot of money and improve your health. For example I for various reasons live part time with my parents and part time in town. When in town I walk, when with my parents, I carpool. It's been much better for me to walk 15min to the pet store with a cart then it would be to drive. I've made all the changes I can reasonably for where I am now.
Second hand clothes is the way to go, buying vintage is so much better than buying fast fashion. Thank you for saving clothes from ending up in a dump
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F**k mate I can't even stick to being a vegan even though I volunteer at rescue shelters and love animals more than anything, I was raised eating meat and it's a big part of my diet and I am an extremely conflicted and flawed human for that one reason. I have stopped using Amazon, use minimal plastic, we try our best but what difference does it really make if I leave my big light on at night when we have tons of s**t being poured into the oceans every second, do what you can and you know if you're a good person or not. I have worn the same clothes for years, we buy second-hand where possible etc etc etc.
Eating meat doesn't cancel out all the good things you do for animals. Don't hate yourself for what you think is one "bad" thing and ignore all the other little positive things you do to contribute. I'm not a vegan (can u tell?) but your passion is admirable. I feel that how animals are treated in life is more important: buy from local farms or butchers if you can, not giant companies.
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The best way to combat this feeling is to focus on what you gain instead of your loss. I used to feel the same way about singers that turn out to be horrible people. Or movie directors/actors that turn out to be assholes. I stopped listening to their music and watching their movies. Yeah, it hurts at first, but emptying my cup allows better things to fill it.
I still blast Michael Jackson in my cars amazing stereo for everyone to hear
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I'm not sure of the logic behind some of this mindset. I understand "don't buy stuff made in a sweatshop", because you are supporting and helping that sweatshop continue. But lets say that I already own some music that it turns out was made by a morally repugnant artist... buying the music would allow my money to go to that person... I would be supporting them. But continuing to listen to the music that I already own (and bought before knowing this) has ZERO moral or ethical impact on the world. -- Humans have this weird trait of thinking that "evil" can pollute things. Just like people hesitating to buy a house where a horrific murder took place... because we somehow have this gut feeling that the house is now tainted by its history.
If you don't buy from an outlet that uses sweatshops, and if enough people follow, then yes the outlet will eventually stop using sweatshops. However, the clothes are now prohibitively expensive for many people, and more importantly the people employed in the sweatshops now have no employment at all. Eventually something will come to take its place, but in the meantime hundreds/thousands of people have starved. As the OP states, the change needs to come from much, much higher than we can reach. We can stop voting for neo-liberal capitalists for a start...
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I try so hard, but honestly, sometimes I want to just not think about it for five seconds. Like, can someone else do the river path cleanup just one week? Just one?....
I super relates to this post. As someone who's in a healthcare field, sometimes it feels like I am solely responsible for another person's well-being or rehabilitation. If I'm having a bad day--whoo, my patients' lives are ruined! It helps to step back and realize I'm not the only player in the world machine; I do the best I can to help, but can't feel responsible for the whole world.
That's precisely it, you do your best and hope others are doing the same. And if you are in a situation where you don't have to focus on saving someone's life, then you can talk about what you are doing to encourage others :)
Load More Replies...
If I stopped reading books, listening to music, appreciating art or enjoying films due to their makers lacking in moral character, I'd have a lot less to do.
Yes, you can. Nobody can tell you where you are drawing the line between tolerable and unacceptable. Regarding the separation of the artist from their work, I, for example, can overlook a lot of things. I usually don't care if the author was a crappy person unless they did something absolutely horrendous like were serial killers or child molesters - those things make me feel really uncomfortable about consuming the products of their work. But each person decide for themselves where they draw this line.
a lot of this also comes down to money. i'd love to only shop locally and buy from small farmers, local craftspeople, etc., but my family is on extremely low fixed income. we *have* to shop at walmart, amazon, chewy, because we don't have the money to do otherwise. and besides, the problem isn't encouraged/discouraged by my spending money at those places. as the story says, the problem is much larger than any one of us. the problem is at the corporate level, and needs to be tackled by a larger entity than any one individual not contributing to the problem.
I agree, money does make a difference. When the juice that's in a glass bottle is more than twice the price of the one in plastic, you don't really have a choice. It's all about doing what you can. If money is a hinderance, but you still want to be active in finding solutions, use your voice instead. It costs nothing to spread the word about what we can do to be more ethical. This then feeds into the fact that it is also the bigwigs who can have the greatest impact. When more consumers make their voice heard, the companies and politicians have to start listening. When you find a political party that aligns with what you are saying, or at least is willing to listen, throw your support their way. And make your vote count. For those in systems with compulsory, preferential voting, vote instead of copping the fine and work out how your order of preferences can have the most impact. Those who don't have compulsory voting, enrol and turn up! Nothing can change if things stay the same.
Load More Replies...
The article uses a still from the TV series The Good Place. I wish it had actually been mentioned by name. That excellent show tackled this dilemma over the course of four seasons. For those who haven't seen it, the premise of The Good Place is that all humans have gone to Hell for several centuries because the interconnectedness that started with the Age of Exploration meant that benefitting from the exploitation of others (a sin) was unavoidable. One episode explores the horrible life of a man who is attempting to never commit this sin and who is mentally crippled because that's impossible,
I'm reminded of the man who would not use a ricksaw because it thought it demeaning. Then he realized it was that man s professsion and his livelihood. I'm wondering if boycotting low wage labor products denies someone their wages.
It may in the short term, but as we have been saying for a long time, there are new fields opening up every day, so if that action does not simply require those employers to raise the wages, there will be other jobs they can change to. It's not an easy solution, but nothing can get better if we just give up.
Load More Replies... I feel like this is why we have our cancel culture... Good intentions bad follow through that just created more void/evil/ignorance
Except that 'cancel culture' is not a new thing It is just a new term for something has been happening forever. Every human rights movement begins with one person speaking up. The more we talk about it, the easier it is to hear other people's side which should eventually lead to better outcomes. In saying that, I don't think the current trend of canceling anything that has a whiff of a scandal without exploration of everyone's views is really working. You need to take the time to work things out rather than having a blanket ban on certain works art. I also think that the art can be separated from the artists a lot of times, depending on what it is that is objectionable. If there is a song that explicitly talks about abusing women, or a tv show can't get through an episode without a racist slur it is the product that should be cancelled. If an artist abuses someone but it isn't in any of their lyrics on the other hand I think it is up to the individual to decide whether to stop
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I think you are missing the point. You are an equal human and flawed. You are part of the problem just as they are. Quit trying to make yourself feel better by knocking down someone you feel is more successful than you. This is a zero sum game.
Load More Replies...
While I don't necessarily advocate doing nothing and not working to alleviate the suffering that we can, I think things are headed inexorably in a downwards trajectory. Our actions may, or may not slow the slide, we might delay it, but I don't think we can stop it. Organic food, 'sustainable' this or that, turning all our lights off for an hour a year - it's all marketing and 'feel goodery'. About 10 years ago it was calculated that 100 million westerners would have to reduce their carbon and consumption footprint by at least 30%, each year, to offset one year of China's growth - not their output or footprint, just their economy's growth that year. So, considering what's likely coming down the line at us, it's hard to believe, but I think future generations will look back on the last couple of decades as a Golden Age.
As you say, making changes may or may not help. Given that, aren't you better follow the path that is aimed at helping, since if you are wrong and it does work you are better off, and if it doesn't, you were going to end up in the same place so are no worse off.
Load More Replies... It’s okay to cut yourself some slack and choose your battles, as long as you choose some battles you really believe in. Stand for something, not everything.
i'm stuck in this wrt a whole lot of things right now: the environment, social justice, covid, etc, etc. It's exhausting even trying to be reasonable without going overboard, and at the same time seeing how few people around me bother to even do the minimum makes it so much worse. I can double mask and social distance all i like, but when most people are running around like we're back to normal, even people who i know and who should know better, it feels pointless. I'm still going to do it, but i can't lose the depression that comes from knowing that my efforts aren't accomplishing anything.
In many small ways, I can only rationalise that if my efforts aren't accomplishing anything, at least I'm not making things worse.
Load More Replies... I try to source everything I need, primarily second hand, and if that isn't possible or plausible, from a local seller. I'm saving stuff like clothes and furniture from ending up in a landfill. Some of our thrift stores are also for charity and I know it hasn't traveled very far from it's last home to mine. It's funny how in some ways being an environmentalist can save you a lot of money and improve your health. For example I for various reasons live part time with my parents and part time in town. When in town I walk, when with my parents, I carpool. It's been much better for me to walk 15min to the pet store with a cart then it would be to drive. I've made all the changes I can reasonably for where I am now.
Second hand clothes is the way to go, buying vintage is so much better than buying fast fashion. Thank you for saving clothes from ending up in a dump
Load More Replies... F**k mate I can't even stick to being a vegan even though I volunteer at rescue shelters and love animals more than anything, I was raised eating meat and it's a big part of my diet and I am an extremely conflicted and flawed human for that one reason. I have stopped using Amazon, use minimal plastic, we try our best but what difference does it really make if I leave my big light on at night when we have tons of s**t being poured into the oceans every second, do what you can and you know if you're a good person or not. I have worn the same clothes for years, we buy second-hand where possible etc etc etc.
Eating meat doesn't cancel out all the good things you do for animals. Don't hate yourself for what you think is one "bad" thing and ignore all the other little positive things you do to contribute. I'm not a vegan (can u tell?) but your passion is admirable. I feel that how animals are treated in life is more important: buy from local farms or butchers if you can, not giant companies.
Load More Replies... The best way to combat this feeling is to focus on what you gain instead of your loss. I used to feel the same way about singers that turn out to be horrible people. Or movie directors/actors that turn out to be assholes. I stopped listening to their music and watching their movies. Yeah, it hurts at first, but emptying my cup allows better things to fill it.
I still blast Michael Jackson in my cars amazing stereo for everyone to hear
Load More Replies... I'm not sure of the logic behind some of this mindset. I understand "don't buy stuff made in a sweatshop", because you are supporting and helping that sweatshop continue. But lets say that I already own some music that it turns out was made by a morally repugnant artist... buying the music would allow my money to go to that person... I would be supporting them. But continuing to listen to the music that I already own (and bought before knowing this) has ZERO moral or ethical impact on the world. -- Humans have this weird trait of thinking that "evil" can pollute things. Just like people hesitating to buy a house where a horrific murder took place... because we somehow have this gut feeling that the house is now tainted by its history.
If you don't buy from an outlet that uses sweatshops, and if enough people follow, then yes the outlet will eventually stop using sweatshops. However, the clothes are now prohibitively expensive for many people, and more importantly the people employed in the sweatshops now have no employment at all. Eventually something will come to take its place, but in the meantime hundreds/thousands of people have starved. As the OP states, the change needs to come from much, much higher than we can reach. We can stop voting for neo-liberal capitalists for a start...
Load More Replies... I try so hard, but honestly, sometimes I want to just not think about it for five seconds. Like, can someone else do the river path cleanup just one week? Just one?....
I super relates to this post. As someone who's in a healthcare field, sometimes it feels like I am solely responsible for another person's well-being or rehabilitation. If I'm having a bad day--whoo, my patients' lives are ruined! It helps to step back and realize I'm not the only player in the world machine; I do the best I can to help, but can't feel responsible for the whole world.
That's precisely it, you do your best and hope others are doing the same. And if you are in a situation where you don't have to focus on saving someone's life, then you can talk about what you are doing to encourage others :)
Load More Replies... If I stopped reading books, listening to music, appreciating art or enjoying films due to their makers lacking in moral character, I'd have a lot less to do.
Yes, you can. Nobody can tell you where you are drawing the line between tolerable and unacceptable. Regarding the separation of the artist from their work, I, for example, can overlook a lot of things. I usually don't care if the author was a crappy person unless they did something absolutely horrendous like were serial killers or child molesters - those things make me feel really uncomfortable about consuming the products of their work. But each person decide for themselves where they draw this line.
a lot of this also comes down to money. i'd love to only shop locally and buy from small farmers, local craftspeople, etc., but my family is on extremely low fixed income. we *have* to shop at walmart, amazon, chewy, because we don't have the money to do otherwise. and besides, the problem isn't encouraged/discouraged by my spending money at those places. as the story says, the problem is much larger than any one of us. the problem is at the corporate level, and needs to be tackled by a larger entity than any one individual not contributing to the problem.
I agree, money does make a difference. When the juice that's in a glass bottle is more than twice the price of the one in plastic, you don't really have a choice. It's all about doing what you can. If money is a hinderance, but you still want to be active in finding solutions, use your voice instead. It costs nothing to spread the word about what we can do to be more ethical. This then feeds into the fact that it is also the bigwigs who can have the greatest impact. When more consumers make their voice heard, the companies and politicians have to start listening. When you find a political party that aligns with what you are saying, or at least is willing to listen, throw your support their way. And make your vote count. For those in systems with compulsory, preferential voting, vote instead of copping the fine and work out how your order of preferences can have the most impact. Those who don't have compulsory voting, enrol and turn up! Nothing can change if things stay the same.
Load More Replies... The article uses a still from the TV series The Good Place. I wish it had actually been mentioned by name. That excellent show tackled this dilemma over the course of four seasons. For those who haven't seen it, the premise of The Good Place is that all humans have gone to Hell for several centuries because the interconnectedness that started with the Age of Exploration meant that benefitting from the exploitation of others (a sin) was unavoidable. One episode explores the horrible life of a man who is attempting to never commit this sin and who is mentally crippled because that's impossible,
I'm reminded of the man who would not use a ricksaw because it thought it demeaning. Then he realized it was that man s professsion and his livelihood. I'm wondering if boycotting low wage labor products denies someone their wages.
It may in the short term, but as we have been saying for a long time, there are new fields opening up every day, so if that action does not simply require those employers to raise the wages, there will be other jobs they can change to. It's not an easy solution, but nothing can get better if we just give up.
Load More Replies... I feel like this is why we have our cancel culture... Good intentions bad follow through that just created more void/evil/ignorance
Except that 'cancel culture' is not a new thing It is just a new term for something has been happening forever. Every human rights movement begins with one person speaking up. The more we talk about it, the easier it is to hear other people's side which should eventually lead to better outcomes. In saying that, I don't think the current trend of canceling anything that has a whiff of a scandal without exploration of everyone's views is really working. You need to take the time to work things out rather than having a blanket ban on certain works art. I also think that the art can be separated from the artists a lot of times, depending on what it is that is objectionable. If there is a song that explicitly talks about abusing women, or a tv show can't get through an episode without a racist slur it is the product that should be cancelled. If an artist abuses someone but it isn't in any of their lyrics on the other hand I think it is up to the individual to decide whether to stop
Load More Replies... I think you are missing the point. You are an equal human and flawed. You are part of the problem just as they are. Quit trying to make yourself feel better by knocking down someone you feel is more successful than you. This is a zero sum game.
Load More Replies... While I don't necessarily advocate doing nothing and not working to alleviate the suffering that we can, I think things are headed inexorably in a downwards trajectory. Our actions may, or may not slow the slide, we might delay it, but I don't think we can stop it. Organic food, 'sustainable' this or that, turning all our lights off for an hour a year - it's all marketing and 'feel goodery'. About 10 years ago it was calculated that 100 million westerners would have to reduce their carbon and consumption footprint by at least 30%, each year, to offset one year of China's growth - not their output or footprint, just their economy's growth that year. So, considering what's likely coming down the line at us, it's hard to believe, but I think future generations will look back on the last couple of decades as a Golden Age.
As you say, making changes may or may not help. Given that, aren't you better follow the path that is aimed at helping, since if you are wrong and it does work you are better off, and if it doesn't, you were going to end up in the same place so are no worse off.
Load More Replies... 
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