Selfishness gets to me. Aww, I know we're all selfish in different ways and different times but the worst to me is that arrogance that doesn't care what else you're hurting as long as you get what you want. Like, how people feel they can use animals and even other people any way they wish. I know it's seen as a Personal Moral Choice but where do we draw the line? Whose morals and standards do we use? Rather than follow anyone, I'm trying (and often failing) to choose the paths that cause the least amount of harm to anything else I encounter.

When I became a vegetarian I felt relieved knowing I wasn't killing animals for my food and I stopped using leather, wool, silk and any other products made from animals, animal testing and the like. I was trying my hardest to not cause any cruelty to animals but I was still causing pain and death. At that point I hadn't seen pictures of egg and dairy farms. I hadn't met my friend whose father worked inspecting these farms. And maybe if I'd known people who ran humane egg and dairy operations I would feel differently about this and still be eating eggs and dairy, I don't know. When we took in rescue goats and chickens, I didn't feel better eating their dairy and eggs so I don't think so. It did hurt me that I thought I wasn't killing animals for my food and I still was. It made me look at my relationships with other creatures, that's for sure. It made me think about the process that everything comes from, sweatshops, little kids picking cocoa beans, modern-day slavery, "fair trade", it's all so daunting but there's so much pain everywhere it seems.
As a sociologist I spend a lot (too much?) time looking at how people interact with each other. What impacts their decisions. What gets them to change. I wish I had a solid answer. Do we simply not know the deeper level of things? Do we not look out of fear or comfort or security? But...I'm sure this is generalizing...I haven't met a speciesist who doesn't also break it down within his/her own species. (I know they must exist, I haven't met any is all I'm saying) Judging other humans or creatures useless that they don't see as "fit" or "worthy". Why so much hate? Why can't we just appreciate life in all its forms? I grew up in the shadow of some of the most devastating cruelty of the 20th century, my family and town were filled with scars of abuse.  I wish I knew how to take away all the cruelty in the world.
None of us are an accident, we're here on purpose, regardless of the method we got here, it's an amazing, magical thing that we're here and alive! Are we here for a purpose? Maybe, I don't know...but I kinda think that purpose isn't to eradicate any other living thing we feel superior to.