"When the underlying reality is particularly unpleasant, we minimize—numbing ourselves to the actual extent of the real story. We say, “Things can't possibly be as bad as people tell us,” because we don't want them to be that bad. This is a form of magical thinking, a way of shutting our eyes. Surely if things were that bad, somebody would do something about it. Withdrawal can take the form of removing our interest (another horror story about furry pets, yawn, yawn); or our wandering attention (understandably, since we are besieged by other equally pressing images of horror). Of course this reaction can be genuine: not everyone need become an activist in the cause to end animal suffering. And becoming a vegetarian may seem like going too far. In fact, it is not such a difficult step and could be legitimately seen as the very best form of activism."
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Activists from the United StatesNon-fiction authors from the United StatesJews from the United StatesAnimal rights activistsPeople from Chicago
Original Language: English
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Ch. 4, p. 161
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Moussaieff_Masson
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Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson
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