by hamish richardson ~
I care about the planet, yet I fly. I care about human suffering, yet I divert my eyes and walk passed the homeless. I care about child labour, yet I’m writing this on an Apple laptop. I care about an inclusive London, yet have gentrified a now-unaffordable community. How many friends do you have that have visited war-torn Colombia but still take cocaine?
Contradictions are ever-present. They certainly are in my life. They should be identified and reflected upon, not judged and mocked. Rather than ignoring such contradictions, hiding them from yourself and others, they should be discussed. Why do such contradictions exist? What reasonable changes can I make to my behaviour? What compromises and contradictions can I live with?
Living a morally flawless life may be possible for Buddhist monks in the isolated serenity of the Himalayas, but for the rest of us life is complex and ever changing. We should all strive to be the best versions of ourself that we can be, but don’t beat yourself up when you undoubtedly fail this unattainable goal.
In all likelihood, this is a weak attempt at gaining the moral high ground over people that sincerely strive to be the most moral person that they perceive they can be. If you’re a vegetarian that enjoys the odd bacon bap, or an environmental campaigner that has flown to some beautiful holiday spots over the last few years, chill out, you’re doing your best.