If you find this question truly compelling—if it’s more than just an intellectual challenge for you—I would suggest reconsidering vegetarianism. When expanding your empathy starts to hinder your basic empathy for humans, or when being a vegetarian makes you think of your aunt as a “meat-eater” rather than as a warm and kind person...
I acknowledge that I haven’t provided a strong justification for my answer, and I don’t know your full set of beliefs and experiences, so this is definitly not a judgment. However, I do strongly believe that the “aunt” argument is a valid one.
I don’t think that expanding compassion to animals leads to reduced compassion for aunts and other humans. It could make one’s choices benefit humaunts less, but that’s arguably desirable.
I do agree that when we find ourselves dispassionate or hateful towards others that’s a sign that we may have stepped wrong at some point in our journey to do the most good
If you find this question truly compelling—if it’s more than just an intellectual challenge for you—I would suggest reconsidering vegetarianism. When expanding your empathy starts to hinder your basic empathy for humans, or when being a vegetarian makes you think of your aunt as a “meat-eater” rather than as a warm and kind person...
I acknowledge that I haven’t provided a strong justification for my answer, and I don’t know your full set of beliefs and experiences, so this is definitly not a judgment. However, I do strongly believe that the “aunt” argument is a valid one.
I don’t think that expanding compassion to animals leads to reduced compassion for aunts and other humans. It could make one’s choices benefit humaunts less, but that’s arguably desirable.
I do agree that when we find ourselves dispassionate or hateful towards others that’s a sign that we may have stepped wrong at some point in our journey to do the most good