Living my values

[livingdeb]

I recently read a passage in a book encouraging me to align my actions with my values. I am absolutely not going to be doing that.

If I did, I'd have to eat only foods that have been grown or caught sustainably, probably mostly plant-based and local, and I should probably grow some of it myself.

I'd have to stop using fossil fuels. Supposedly my home electricity is from wind, but I could no longer go anywhere except on foot or bicycle.

I'd have to look up the median income of humans on earth and start living on that, contributing the excess to those less fortunate than me, just to be fair. Since I have pretty good free health insurance, that wouldn't leave much spending money. I'd have to be homeless or at least have way more roommates than I currently have.

And I'd have to look for a job in an ICE prison and magically get the skills to secretly smuggle in some things like clean water, good food, medicine, and mail; smuggle out things like mail and people; and regularly use de-escalation skills I don't have.

I don't think the book was trying to horrify me.

Comments

[reedrover]

Yeah, absolutists often make no sense.

The values I try to live are focused on building community. That’s where my volunteer energy and charity go.

[livingdeb]

It's good to have a focus. I have that for my charitable donations--they go to the issues I think are most important (environment, poverty, fairness).

But my time is very unfocused, based on what I'm good at and what's easy for me (various frugality strategies, walking and riding buses for transportation, donating blood).

[mackthemike]

Could you align your values with your actions instead? Or some hybrid?

[livingdeb]

Oh, no, ugh. I'd rather keep my values aspirational than give up on them.