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I believe cognitive dissonance is extremely widespread. 100% of smokers know that what they are doing is extremely bad for their health. Everybody knows about

I believe cognitive dissonance is extremely widespread. 100% of smokers know that what they are doing is extremely bad for their health. Everybody knows about the suffering the animal industry inflicts on billions of cows, chicken and pigs. The awareness of these problems does not seem to lead to widespread and lasting changes in behavior. The taste of a burger and the sensation of driving a powerful car seems to trump moral considerations for a majority of humans. As an example: Green party members in Germany are the ones who fly the most

netsharc 7y ago
As someone who believes in climate change and still hasn't changed his lifestyle (I still like beef, I've flown a bit this year), I fully agree. And nowadays I and many people in this group are probably adopting the mindset of "well, we're all going to die and it's too late to change anything anyway!". Although actions like "paper straws please!" don't really have that huge of an effect anyway, it just fools social media activists to think they're helping... It seems the change will come when it comes through societal shaming, like smoking in the USA. But it'll be a long time before people look down at someone saying "oh your car is still internal combustion?"
- Ancalagon 7y ago
  I gotta fess up I am the same way you are. My one excuse is that it would literally be impossible for me to get food/get to work in any reasonable way without a car, and I would never see my family if I couldn't fly back home. I also would like to stop eating meat, but I find my "addiction" to meat consumption to be unlike anything else. I could give up coffee and alcohol no sweat but meat is like a whole other level. Realistically, it seems to me that much of the economy and the way cities and populations work and interact need to be redesigned from the ground up to have a much smaller footprint...

netsharc 7y ago

As someone who believes in climate change and still hasn't changed his lifestyle (I still like beef, I've flown a bit this year), I fully agree. And nowadays I and many people in this group are probably adopting the mindset of "well, we're all going to die and it's too late to change anything anyway!". Although actions like "paper straws please!" don't really have that huge of an effect anyway, it just fools social media activists to think they're helping... It seems the change will come when it comes through societal shaming, like smoking in the USA. But it'll be a long time before people look down at someone saying "oh your car is still internal combustion?"

Ancalagon 7y ago
I gotta fess up I am the same way you are. My one excuse is that it would literally be impossible for me to get food/get to work in any reasonable way without a car, and I would never see my family if I couldn't fly back home. I also would like to stop eating meat, but I find my "addiction" to meat consumption to be unlike anything else. I could give up coffee and alcohol no sweat but meat is like a whole other level. Realistically, it seems to me that much of the economy and the way cities and populations work and interact need to be redesigned from the ground up to have a much smaller footprint...