“Every single one of us makes a difference every single day.  You can’t live through a day without making an impact, and we have a choice: what kind of impact are we going to make?” ~Jane Goodall

That quotation is filled with hope, though hope may seem like a funny thing to have in light of contemporary issues.  There is no shortage of social justice concerns to care about, whether considering human communities, the environment, or the planet’s animals.

Any one of those issues alone could feel overwhelming.  Together those entangled systemic forces may have a cumulative impact that could easily yield a sort of hopeless acceptance of the status quo.  The idea that there is simply too much wrong to change, however, is only helpful for those looking to rationalize and keep the world as it is.

Ask yourself if you’ve ever said, “I know I should,” —fill in the blank— then concluded, “but it’s hard to change.” Perhaps such remorseful inaction is seductive because it’s certainly easy to suppose it’s too late or too complicated to make personal change or to assume that one person’s actions won’t matter.  If belief is the necessary causal factor in action, what does inaction indicate about belief?

It may be helpful to turn briefly to the insight of American philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce, who articulated an elegant analysis of belief by exploring the “habits of mind” that serve to ease the discomfort of doubt.  Peirce identifies four methods of belief in the classic essay “Fixation of Belief.” He criticizes three of the four methods (tenacity, authority, and a priori) for their significant limitations, claiming they too easily cling to tradition, refuse analysis, or simply go along with majority opinions.  A consequence of each of these seems to invite inaction. Peirce ultimately defends only the fourth method, scientific reasoning, as reliable, for it subjects itself to a methodology of investigation, reflection, and openness to revision.  It may be a reasonable conclusion that a lot of inaction is based on unexamined beliefs.

As in the scientific method, reflecting, committing, and acting, are integral components of moral reasoning.  Most moral systems of thought aim for intent, speech, and actions to reflect more than self-interest (like avoiding change) because ethical decisions ought not center on simply justifying choices and behaviors.

compassion is an action not a feeling

Though personal change can be challenging, hope is also built on the promise of change, reminding us of the good yet to be done.  To advocates who believe the world can (perhaps should) change for future generations, compassion becomes an action, not a feeling.  Whether working for people, the environment, or animals, belief that you can still make an impact, may be one of the most powerful beliefs of all.