Moral inconsistencies

Everyone has a moral compass…a set of beliefs. How they view the world and what’s right and wrong. While I like to believe I and others live by these beliefs, the truth is much more nuanced. There are certain beliefs that you believe to your very core and you would never waver from. There are other beliefs that you think you carry, but you don’t act in ways that uphold them.

To give you a few personal examples – here are some beliefs I feel like I hold but don’t live by:

I don’t believe in the concept of zoos, caging and domesticating animals, or modern meat production. I think we have an obligation to treat animals and nature fairly and ethically and I don’t think any of the above meet those obligations. Yet, I eat meat (and not just free-range), I love zoos, and I will probably get a dog someday.

I believe that we have an obligation to take care of our planet for future generations, which currently includes many actions, but most prominently, mitigating human-influenced climate change. Yet, I fly and drive all the time without a second thought, eat meat, use electricity rampantly, and generally do nothing in my life to express this belief. I don’t even have a hybrid!

I believe that voting is an essential aspect of democracy and one of the core functions of a good citizen. Yet, I find it a hassle to vote and only vote in presidential elections (not in midterm elections or primaries).

The list could go on and on. I believe recycling is a good thing but never do so when it’s even slightly inconvenient. What does this mean? If you don’t live by these principles, does it mean you really don’t hold them (and just pretend to do so to make yourself feel better)? Does it mean you don’t hold them with enough intensity? Does it mean you don’t believe you, individually, can actually affect the things you believe? These are all explanations that I’ve offered to myself at times, but none feels quite right.

I’m not sure exactly what it means, but it’s something I wonder about. What makes a belief one you live by vs. one you just “believe”?