Livre d'Or

Basically, I agree with ceb. It's true that one person doing one thing won't change the world - unless they influence the people around them, and so on.

I disagree on the whole individualism, which is a fundamental personality difference. I don't understand why helping someone here is more satisfying than helping someone I never meet - and I don't understand the whole inclination to take the side of someone you know. I've trained myself out of saying 'actually, they sound perfectly reasonable and I would have acted the same way' because I know that's not what people want to hear, but it does leave me looking at this whole idea a different way.

But, my main point it this - you may never change the world. You may never influence other people to go your way (although actually, it's only a few months ago that Colin was saying he would never go vegetarian because I couldn't cope with a vegetarian partner, and here I am being influenced at least partly by you to at least eat less meat if not entirely give it up). But do you want your money to be going to pay for someone to kidnap and enslave a child? Do you want your money to go to a local indie dress maker or a factory owner in Bangladesh? You might not change the world, but you can change your influence on it.

Now, I know other capitalists who say that slavery is a valid business decision, boycotts never change business matters, so there's no point, that's capitalism, a few kids die, a few workers get burned down, where's the harm? But I don't think that's you. I don't want to think that's you, but I also think that doesn't fit the way you present yourself as well as my mental 'Liv-as-hero' model. So maybe it does matter, even if it doesn't change the world. Maybe acting as true to your values as you can is the important way to live.