It is definitely difficult to do research into these areas where there is so much suffering involved, and as you mentioned it is often the areas of suffering that you just had no idea about that are the worst—learning a new way that animals suffer. It’s also important, of course, to make sure that these emotions don’t bias us towards interventions that are more horrific but less tractable etc.
For me the most difficult thing I have had to research is the use of glue traps for rodents as I just didn’t know glue traps existed before doing this research and the photos and descriptions of their use were particularly horrible, this was without a doubt the saddest I had felt whilst doing research. The way I console myself is that I know that I am doing this research because we are trying to help these animals, or the most animals we can, and that definitely feels worthwhile.
Thanks a lot, Vicky. It seems both empowering and humbling—“I’m helping to remove a lot of suffering from the world!” and also “There are so many beings I can’t help!”
It is definitely difficult to do research into these areas where there is so much suffering involved, and as you mentioned it is often the areas of suffering that you just had no idea about that are the worst—learning a new way that animals suffer. It’s also important, of course, to make sure that these emotions don’t bias us towards interventions that are more horrific but less tractable etc.
For me the most difficult thing I have had to research is the use of glue traps for rodents as I just didn’t know glue traps existed before doing this research and the photos and descriptions of their use were particularly horrible, this was without a doubt the saddest I had felt whilst doing research. The way I console myself is that I know that I am doing this research because we are trying to help these animals, or the most animals we can, and that definitely feels worthwhile.
Thanks a lot, Vicky. It seems both empowering and humbling—“I’m helping to remove a lot of suffering from the world!” and also “There are so many beings I can’t help!”