動物權利行動手冊-引言：有意義的生活的樂趣
在此繼續連載Matt Ball和Bruce Friedrich著TheAnimal Activist"s Handbook的譯文。該動物權利行動手冊由來自清華大學、北京體育大學、北京外國語大學和北京大學的同學們共同翻譯完成。
翻譯權是著作權人的權利，連載發布此翻譯，已經取得兩位作者Matt和Bruce的認可。如需轉載，請聯繫本號申請授權。
引言
有意義的生活的樂趣
翻譯：謝嘉懿
校對：賴達，歐陽惠雨
在《擁有快樂的秘密》這本書中，作者Alice Walker提出快樂生活的秘訣就是反抗暴力和壓迫。我們的經驗支持這一點，我們相信幸福來自於這些成就：比如努力讓世界變得更加良善和公正。在這本書之中，我們把行動主義展現為一種有意義的生活方式，並就如何使我們的努力更加有效給出一些思考。
從哪裡開始呢？世界上有太多苦難和不公，其中大部分是不必要、真實而反胃的。令人難過的是，世界上絕大多數的不公在始終持續著以至於不能引起人們的注意。此外，這些暴行大多隱藏於日常視野之外。人類的心理不傾向於沉溺於看不見的不愉快。有人說，現實對於我們來說太過沉重了，以至於我們的大腦根本無法意識到事情到底有多糟，更不必說這些痛苦如何在道德上引導我們的生活了。其他的一些人指出，我們只適應於與一小圈人打交道，而不是處理大量的問題。
如果我們真的不能意識和理解全球性的痛苦問題，我們還怎麼指望著以一種有條不紊的、長期的方式來帶來真正的改變呢？事實上，我們大多數人什麼也不做。而在那些決定採取行動的人中，大多數人被吸引到了急迫、極端或反常的運動中去追求立竿見影的改變。
從心理學上講，這種忽視那些不好的，或者只關注那些眼前和熟悉的的傾向是可以理解的。歷史表明，反對或試圖否認人性是愚人的追求。但這並不意味著我們註定要隨波逐流。我們相信有一個更好的方式，它不是基於全新的飲食、工作、汽車、關係、政黨、宗教、冥想，而是對我們的本性的誠實的評價。通過接受世界本來的樣子，我們希望展示一個堅實的現實基礎，它可以通向一條新的道路，一條既可持續又滿足人類的道路。這一點都不簡單——可以說，慣性是人類最強大的力量。然而，還是值得去迎接挑戰，走上這條新的道路。
在這本書中，我們為那些選擇有意義的生活，通過努力使世界變得更美好的人提供實用的建議和見解。多年來，我們涉足各種各樣的事業，我們有許多發現，甚至犯了更多的錯誤。在這本書中，我們試圖把這些經驗匯總出來，這樣行動者就不必犯同樣的錯誤，而是可以直接開展有效的行動。
我們發現書中的許多建議可能是違反直覺的，有些你則會覺得有挑戰性——我們確實是這樣做的！我們只希望你給予這些觀點一個開放的思考。出於我們即將具體解釋的原因，我們的重點是從動物這個論點倡導素食。隨後，我們這本書的大部分講的都是動保倡導，以及在這方面如何做一名有效的行動者的建議。然而，大多數建議可以應用於其他議題，如果你積极參与其他促進社會公正的事業，我們向你致敬，希望你能這本書中找到一些有用的見解。
在第一章中，我們討論了為什麼我們認為倡導一個主張為生活帶來意義，並闡述了我們選擇素食倡導的首要原則和原因。在第二章中，我們討論了給所有積極分子的一些常見建議。第三章為動保行動者提供了具體的策略，涉及到我們所接觸到的問題、關注和場景。第四章，我們討論了一些我們最喜歡的可以改變世界的活動。在第五章中，我們討論了為什麼我們認為動物解放不僅是可能的，而且是必然的，為什麼我們都應該選擇加入這一場運動。在附錄中，我們列舉了一些我們最喜歡的資源，以及對關於素食主義的具體問題的回答、「人道肉」的問題和倫理的理論問題。
這本書中最重要的觀點如下：
1）幸福不是來自簡單或物質上的「富足」生活。它來自於一個深思熟慮、有意義的生活，致力於改變世界，讓世界變得更好的生活。
2）鑒於我們有限的時間和資源，以及我們固有的偏見，我們應該在儘可能減少痛苦的基礎上做出選擇。記住當我們選擇做一件事時，事實上我們就選擇了不做另一件事。
3）僅僅為自己做出正確的選擇是不夠的。通過有效地與他人互動，我們可以使我們的生活的影響成倍地增加。
4）我們應當展現出，我們的生活是有目標、有意義的生活。
5）我們應該是專業的，與他人積極地、有思想地對話，而不是對他們長篇大論。
6）我們應該得意於我們擁有的自由和機會，以及我們能夠加入一個更大的、根本上是良善的事業。
我們發現，羅伯特·肯尼迪在南非開普敦大學的演講(1966年6月6日)在今天仍舊適用：
極少有人能夠偉大到改寫歷史，但我們每個人都能夠參與整個事業的一小部分。所有這些行動的總和，將書寫這一代人的歷史。人類的歷史是由無數充滿勇氣和信念的行動寫成的。每當一個人為理想挺身而出，為更多人的利益行動，對抗不公正，他（或她）就散發出微小希望的漣漪，一百萬個帶有能量和勇氣的漣漪，匯聚成水流，這股水流可以衝倒最強大的壓迫和反抗……
對我們這些幸運的人來說，有一種誘惑，就是享受了教育的特權之後，沿著那種簡單而熟悉的擁有個人抱負和追求經濟成功的道路走下去。但這並不是我們面前的道路。不管你喜歡與否，我們生活在危險和不確定的時代，但是，它也比歷史上任何時候都更加包容人們的創造力。我們所有人最終都將受到評判，隨著時間的推移，我們肯定也會對自己作出評判，評判的標準是，我們為建設一個新世界所作出的努力以及我們的理想和目標如何塑造了這些努力。
未來不屬於那些滿足於現狀的人，也不屬於那些對共同的問題，對我們的同胞無動於衷的人，以及面對新的想法和大膽的項目時膽怯和恐懼的人。相反，未來將屬於那些做出承諾將願景、理性和勇氣與美國社會的理想和偉大事業結合起來的人。
我們的未來可能超出我們的想像，但並不完全超出我們的控制。不是命運、天性或者不可阻擋的歷史潮流決定了我們的命運，而是我們自己有理性和原則的工作。這裡有驕傲，甚至傲慢，但也有經驗和真理。無論如何，這是我們唯一的生活方式。
彼得·辛格進一步發展了肯尼迪在《我們如何生活？》中的想法。辛格讓我們所有人都審視自己的生活。在這裡我們要進一步說，誠實地審視生活，有意義的生活總是在致力於建設一個更美好的世界。
辛格解釋道：
任何人都可以成為推動力量的一部分，在為時過晚之前為我們提供改善世界的機會。你可以重新思考你的目標和生活的意義……最重要的是，你會發現你是為了什麼而活著，因為你將成為致力於通過努力使世界變得更好，減少世間痛苦的人們之中的一員，成為這項偉大的運動的一部分。
最後，改述馬丁路德金的話：
歷史的軌跡是漫長的，
曲折的，
而且經常看不清它的方向，
但最終，
它總會到達正義。
我們每個人都可以成為歷史進程的一部分。
我們可以做那些改變歷史軌跡，改變世界的人。
當下就是歷史，開始行動吧！
以下為原文
INTRODUCTION
The Joy of a Meaningful Life
InPossessing the Secret of Joy, the writer Alice Walker suggests that the secret of a joyful life is working against violence and oppression. Our experience supports this-we believe that happiness comes from positive accomplishment in the world: i.e., from successfully striving to make the world kinder and more just. In this book,we present activism as the way to a meaningful life, and we offer some reflections on how we can be more effective in our efforts.
Where to begin? There is a great deal of suffering and injustice in the world, and much of it is gratuitous, graphic, and stomach turning. Sadly, the vast majority of the world"s injustices are too constant to allow significant attention. Furthermore, most of these atrocities are well hidden from everyday view. The human psyche is not inclined to dwell on unseen unpleasantness. Some say that reality is too much for us, that our brains simply can"t process just how bad things really are for so many-much less deal with the moral implication that this suffering has on how we lead our lives. Others point out that we evolved to deal with only a small circle of people, not vast issues.
If we can"t really process and understand global suffering, how can we be expected to seriously work for change in a methodical, long-term way? Indeed, most of us don"t do anything. Among those who do decide to take action, most are drawn to the urgent, to the extreme, or to the anomaly-pursuing campaigns where immediate change can be seen.
The inclination to ignore what"s "bad", or to focus only on the immediate and familiar, is understandable, given basic psychology. History has shown that arguing against or trying to deny human nature is a fool"s pursuit. But that doesn"t mean we"re condemned to simply follow the crowd. We believe there"s a better way-one based not on a new diet, job, car, relationship, political party, religion, meditation, or crystals, but rather on an honest evaluation of our basic nature. By assessing the world as it is, we hope to show that a firm grounding in reality can lead to a new path, one that"s both sustainable and fulfilling for us as human beings. It"s not simple; it can be argued that inertia is the strongest force in human nature. Ultimately, however, it"s worth embracing the challenge to walk this new path.
In this book, we offer practical suggestions and insights for anyone who wants to choose a meaningful life by working to make the world a better place. Having been involved in various causes over the years, we"ve made many discoveries-and even more mistakes. On these pages, we"ve attempted to provide the sum of our experience, so that activists won"t need to make the same frustrating missteps, but can instead go directly into effective activism.
We recognize that many of the suggestions in the book are counterintuitive, and some you may find challenging-we certainly did! We ask only that you give these ideas open-minded consideration and thought. For reasons we explain in detail, our focus is on advocating for animals. Subsequently, we devote the majority of this book to animal advocacy, as well as tips for being an effective activist for that cause. However, most of the suggestions and tips could be easily applied to advocacy for other issues; if you"re active in some other cause to make the world more just, we salute you and hope you"ll find some useful insights on these pages.
In Chapter One, we discuss the reasons we feel advocacy leads to meaning in life, and lay out our first principles and subsequent reasons for choosing vegetarian advocacy. In Chapter Two, we discuss some general tips for all activists. Chapter Three contains specific strategies for animal activists. These topics are related to questions, concerns, and scenarios we"ve been exposed to as animal activists. In Chapter Four, we discuss some of our favorite activities for changing the world. In Chapter Five, we discuss why we believe animal liberation is not only possible, but inevitable, and why we should all choose to be a part of this work. In the appendices, we"ve included a few of our favorite resources, as well as specific questions regarding the "whys" of vegetarianism, the question of "humane meat", and a theory of ethics.
The most important ideas in this book are:
1)Happiness does not come from an easy or materially "rich" life. It comes from a thoughtful, meaningful life dedicated to changing the world for the better.
2)Given our limited time and resources, as well as our inherent biases, we should make our choices based on reducing as much suffering as possible, remembering that when we choose to do one thing, we"re choosing not to do another.
3)Simply making the "right" choices for ourselves isn"t enough. By effectively interacting with other people, we can make the impact of our lives exponentially greater.
4)Our lives should be an advertisement for a purpose driven life.
5)We should be professional and have positive, thoughtful conversations with people, rather than monologues at them.
6)We should revel in the freedom and opportunity we have, the ability to be a part of something bigger, something fundamentally good.
We find Robert F. Kennedy"s speech at the University of Capetown, South Africa (June 6, 1966) to be of continuing relevance today:
Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation. It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a [person] stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, [s]he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance....
For the fortunate among us, there is the temptation to follow the easy and familiar paths of personal ambition and financial success so grandly spread before those who enjoy the privilege of education. But that is not the road history has marked out for us. Like it or not, we live in times of danger and uncertainty. But they are also more open to the creative energy of [people] than any other time in history. All of us will ultimately be judged and as the years pass we will surely judge ourselves, on the effort we have contributed to building a new world society and the extent to which our ideals and goals have shaped that effort.
The future does not belong to those who are content with today, apathetic toward common problems and their fellow [humans] alike, timid and fearful in the face of new ideas and bold projects. Rather it will belong to those who can blend vision, reason and courage in a personal commitment to the ideals and great enterprises of American Society.
Our future may lie beyond our vision, but it is not completely beyond our control. It is the shaping impulse of America that neither fate nor nature nor the irresistible tides of history, but the work of our own hands, matched to reason and principle, that will determine our destiny. There is pride in that, even arrogance, but there is also experience and truth. In any event, it is the only way we can live.
Peter Singer updates Kennedy"s thinking inHow Are We To Live?, where he calls us all to live examined lives. We"d go further to say that an honest examination reveals a life worth living is dedicated to building a better world.
Singer explains:
Anyone can become part of the critical mass that offers us a chance of improving the world before it is too late. You can rethink your goals and question what you are doing with your life... Most important of all, you will know that you have not lived and died for nothing, because you will have become part of the great tradition of those who have responded to the amount of pain and suffering in the universe by trying to make the world a better place.
And, finally, to paraphrase Martin Luther King, Jr.:
The arc of history is long
And ragged
And often unclear
But ultimately
It bends towards justice.
We can each choose to be a part of that progress.
We can be the ones who bend the arc, who change the world.
History is now-let"s get started!
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