There are a lot of times where there are conflicts between private good and public good. Im sure someone who has studied philosophy could explain this better, but one example is catalytic converters on cars, which reduce some of the harmful pollution they put out. The converter is expensive, and reduces your cars fuel mileage, while the amount of pollution that your individual car puts out isnt very big, so you dont really have much incentive to have one on your car--but it is a public good when everyone has them on their car and our air is less harmful to breathe.
Another classic example is using public transit--in most cases it is faster and more convenient to drive oneself, but on the other hand if enough people use public transit then traffic is better, pollution is lower, etc.
For the most part, Im a big believer in emphasizing public goods. It is important not to be totalitarian about such things too much, and of course what is the public good can be debated in many situations. But overall Id rather make some personal sacrifices to enjoy a better society, ambiance, and environment.
What recently occurred to me is that this is a way to model a lot of activism. In most cases putting yourself out there to promote a cause is not a private good--it takes time, subjects you to attacks, may polarize people around you and could even have an impact on things like employment. On the other hand, for a lot of causes having activists out there, promoting the issue, is a public good, in that attitudes and behavior may not change without their activity.
Which of course brings me to the issue of how to live my life as a fat admirer and believer in size acceptance. I love fat in all sorts of ways:I like it on me and on people around me, I find fat bodies to be erotic and the enjoyment of fat even more so, and I broadly have positive associations with fatness in all sorts of ways. Im pretty much a fat fan-boy.
BUT, I mostly keep that to myself. When I first noticed a girl in THAT way, she was the pudgiest girl in our class--and I already knew that wasnt cool, and I knew I was in no way ready to date anyone, so I never revealed my crush. Heck, in my teen years I kept my sexuality so thoroughly private that some friends began to wonder if I was gay. These days Im married to a BBW and make no secret of the fact that Im attracted to her, and Im pretty apologetically roly-poly myself, but I really dont talk about it. If anything, I avoid the topic.
Ive always told myself that it was enough to just live a fat-friendly life without apologies, that there was no need to agitate or proselytize--that there was no need to stick out and risk getting hammered down.
But now that Im thinking about such issues in terms of private good and public good, I suddenly find myself questioning thirty-five years of keeping my head down. To be consistent with my believe in contributing to the public good in other areas, I should probably be doing more around size acceptance. The alternative is, of course, to accept that Im a hypocrite, willing to make sacrifices that are easy for me to make, but not willing to make the ones that are much more uncomfortable.
I dont really know where this new way of looking at things is going to take me. While I ponder, I welcome thoughts and comments from others.
- Do you agree that activism is a public good?
- What is the best way for the average Joe to support size acceptance?
- Any other thoughts/observations?
Another classic example is using public transit--in most cases it is faster and more convenient to drive oneself, but on the other hand if enough people use public transit then traffic is better, pollution is lower, etc.
For the most part, Im a big believer in emphasizing public goods. It is important not to be totalitarian about such things too much, and of course what is the public good can be debated in many situations. But overall Id rather make some personal sacrifices to enjoy a better society, ambiance, and environment.
What recently occurred to me is that this is a way to model a lot of activism. In most cases putting yourself out there to promote a cause is not a private good--it takes time, subjects you to attacks, may polarize people around you and could even have an impact on things like employment. On the other hand, for a lot of causes having activists out there, promoting the issue, is a public good, in that attitudes and behavior may not change without their activity.
Which of course brings me to the issue of how to live my life as a fat admirer and believer in size acceptance. I love fat in all sorts of ways:I like it on me and on people around me, I find fat bodies to be erotic and the enjoyment of fat even more so, and I broadly have positive associations with fatness in all sorts of ways. Im pretty much a fat fan-boy.
BUT, I mostly keep that to myself. When I first noticed a girl in THAT way, she was the pudgiest girl in our class--and I already knew that wasnt cool, and I knew I was in no way ready to date anyone, so I never revealed my crush. Heck, in my teen years I kept my sexuality so thoroughly private that some friends began to wonder if I was gay. These days Im married to a BBW and make no secret of the fact that Im attracted to her, and Im pretty apologetically roly-poly myself, but I really dont talk about it. If anything, I avoid the topic.
Ive always told myself that it was enough to just live a fat-friendly life without apologies, that there was no need to agitate or proselytize--that there was no need to stick out and risk getting hammered down.
But now that Im thinking about such issues in terms of private good and public good, I suddenly find myself questioning thirty-five years of keeping my head down. To be consistent with my believe in contributing to the public good in other areas, I should probably be doing more around size acceptance. The alternative is, of course, to accept that Im a hypocrite, willing to make sacrifices that are easy for me to make, but not willing to make the ones that are much more uncomfortable.
I dont really know where this new way of looking at things is going to take me. While I ponder, I welcome thoughts and comments from others.
- Do you agree that activism is a public good?
- What is the best way for the average Joe to support size acceptance?
- Any other thoughts/observations?
