“Becoming aware of the intense suffering of billions of animals, and of our own participation in that suffering, can bring up painful emotions: sorrow and grief for the animals; anger at the injustice and deception of the system; despair at the enormity of the problem; fear that trusted authorities and institutions are, in fact, untrustworthy; and guilt for having contributed to the problem. Bearing witness means choosing to suffer. Indeed, empathy is literally 'feeling with.' Choosing to suffer is particularly difficult in a culture that is addicted to comfort--a culture that teaches that pain should be avoided whenever possible and that ignorance is bliss. We can reduce our resistance to witnessing by valuing authenticity over personal pleasure, and integration over ignorance.” SufferingEmpathyWitnessing Book:Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows: An Introduction to Carnism Source: Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows: An Introduction to Carnism
“Think about it: virtually every atrocity in the history of humankind was enabled by a populace that turned away from a reality that seemed too painful to face, while virtually every revolution for peace and justice has been made possibly by a group of people who chose to bear witness and demanded that others bear witness as well.” RevolutionActivismWitnessing Book:Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows: An Introduction to Carnism Source: Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows: An Introduction to Carnism