Last week, I went to the Occupy Chicago rally with a group of volunteers, to distribute literature explaining how corporate farms abuse and neglect animals in order to increase profits. For those not familiar with these issues, the short version is that the vast majority of farm animals in our country are given minimal living space, bred and fed to grow abnormally fast, and denied proper veterinary care. They live and die under agonizing conditions. Many of the “Occupiers” whom I met were already vegetarians, and most of the others expressed sympathy for the cause, or at least an awareness of the problem.

However, there was one notable exception.

This young gentleman initially said that humans evolved to eat animals, so there was no way that would he ever become a vegetarian. He changed his tune slightly as the conversation progressed, agreeing that it’s wrong to make animals suffer, and that human rights violations which occur in slaughterhouses are also concerning. However, he also said that there were more important issues to address, and therefore worrying about animals was not on his agenda at the moment.

In an attempt to understand where he was coming from, I asked him why he was out protesting that day, and which causes he supported. He said that he wanted to get a college education and a good job. That was pretty much it. I asked him what actions were necessary to help make that possible, but he didn’t seem to know. In fact, he didn’t much care how it happened, as long as he got what he wanted out of whatever changes took place.

Finally, we had reached the truth of the matter. Not only did he not worry about animals, neither was he concerned about other people. He was in it for himself, and only himself. To his credit, he did preface his confession with the words “I know it sounds terrible, but …” He fully realized the selfish nature of his goals, even as he admitted them to us.

Obviously, that type of approach is not likely to win many supporters. In order to convince someone to join your cause, you usually have to show them that an injustice is occurring, and it must be something more meaningful than “I’m not getting what I want.” People support charitable organizations because they want to feel like they are making a difference in the world.

Another problem with ego-driven activism is that it’s not psychologically beneficial for the participant.

In last week’s post, I explained how doing things for others increases self-esteem and is greatly valued in the morality systems of most world cultures. However, when the goal is simply to get what you want for yourself, activism becomes an expression of narcissism rather than a method of helping others. Some activists, even when fighting for a worthy cause, ultimately have self-serving goals. Their underlying psychological motivation is to make themselves feel superior to others. You can spot these folks a mile away. They push limits with the police, argue with passersby, and generally attempt to draw as much attention to themselves as possible.

Self-centered activism does more harm than good, for both the cause and the activist. A friend of mine once told me that while he had met many vegetarians in his life, many of them made him want to eat a big juicy steak right in front of them, because their attitudes about it were so obnoxious. With me, who rarely said anything about it at all, he was more likely to be considerate.

The best type of activism, in my opinion, is voting with your feet. Instead of carrying protest signs, making demands, and yelling at people who don’t share your views, practice what you preach. If you don’t like corporate control of our government, think about where your dollars are going before making purchases that you don’t really need. Rather than saying “what’s in it for me,” ask “what can I do to help.”

For example, it may cost a little more to visit your local farmers market and make your own meals, but you won’t be giving your consumer dollars to a fast food company who will then use your money to promote their own political agenda. More importantly, your family will be healthier as a result of your choices. Think of it as your own private health-care plan, as well as your own little protest march. Or instead of running out to buy the latest edition smartphone, use your old one a little longer, to reduce the number of discarded cell phones leaking toxic waste into our environment. If doing those things doesn’t feel like much, or enough, that’s your ego talking. Our individual efforts may seem small and unimportant, but put together they add up to make a huge difference.

When we participate in activism, of course we must educate people and share our views. But if we come across as being angry, others will feel defensive and stop listening. Nobody wants to feel like they are being blamed for society’s problems. A more constructive message starts with accepting personal responsibility and empowering ourselves to make a difference, instead of expecting others to do it for us. When we show people how easy it is to make these changes in our daily lives, and how much fun we have while doing it, we set a positive example for them to follow.

We also set a great example for our kids, who will carry that message forward into the future.