Most Good, Least Harm: A Simple Principle for a Better World and Meaningful Life.
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Reading Group Discussion Guide for Most Good, Least Harm.
Download a PDF of the MOGO Questionnaire and Action Plan.
“With an amazingly useful way of thinking and acting, Most Good, Least Harm is multi-faceted in its utility….The innovation in this book is…spreading a message of being socially, politically, and environmentally conscious when making decisions.”
~ Jordan Dacayanan, Sacramento Book Review
In a previous post, “Altruism v. Rape,” I wrote about damselflies appearing to rescue other damselflies who had fallen into the water. Since writing that blog, I have observed this behavior again. Specifically, I saw a damselfly drowning in the pond and at least a half dozen other damselflies were flying to attach onto this [...]
Filed under: nature, perspective, values | Tagged: Altruism, perceptions, intentions, animals, natural world, perspective, insects, damselflies | Leave a Comment »
Recently, I was sitting at the pond behind our house observing the myriad life around me. The damselflies were mating, flying attached to one another as the one in the rear dropped eggs into the pond. I saw one damselfly struggling underwater, and several others flew to the site of the struggle. As the damselfly [...]
Filed under: nature, values | Tagged: Altruism, damselflies, insects, natural world, observation, opportunism, perceptions, values, world view | 2 Comments »
There are some who argue that education is virtually always synonymous with indoctrination, and those who hold this position certainly have evidence to support it. The U.S. government removed native children from their homes, put them in boarding schools, forbade them from speaking their own languages, and indoctrinated them with very specific values and beliefs. [...]
Filed under: Cultural Issues, accurate information, creativity, critical thinking, education, propaganda, values | Tagged: education, accurate information, critical thinking, teaching, third side thinking, propaganda, indoctrination, schooling, creative thinking, independent thought | 1 Comment »
This past weekend I had the great privilege of speaking at the Their Lives, Our Voices conference in Minneapolis. I also had the even greater privilege of getting to hear some amazing talks. Paul Shapiro, senior director for factory farming issues at the Humane Society of the United States, gave a talk about rebutting animal [...]
Filed under: MOGO (Most Good), accurate information, animal protection, citizen activism, propaganda, speciesism, values | Tagged: animal protection, accurate information, critical thinking, values, industrial agriculture, speciesism, MOGO choices, conferences, marketing, propaganda, humor, animal agriculture, factory farming, suffering, desires, eggs, battery hens | Leave a Comment »
This morning as I walked by our pond, I saw a Mallard with her seven newly hatched ducklings. I kept my dogs under control as we walked past the pond while the mother duck quickly gathered the babies to keep them safe from us predators. I was ambivalent about seeing this family of ducks on [...]
Filed under: Inner Peace, MOGO (Most Good), animal intelligence and emotion, reverence, values | Tagged: fear, despair, values, Inner Peace, wildlife, ducks, baby animals, animal behavior, poems, worry | Leave a Comment »
My good friend and colleague, Mary Pat Champeau, once offered me some words of wisdom, ones that helped her to maintain integrity, equanimity, and calm no matter what the situation. She said, “I try not to let anyone else determine how I will act.” This has been one of the most important pieces of advice [...]
Filed under: Inner Peace, MOGO (Most Good), responsibility, values | Tagged: responsibility, values, integrity, MOGO choices, Inner Peace, wisdom, reactiveness, calm | Leave a Comment »
Several years ago, following a conference in Florida where I was the keynote speaker talking about humane education, I was invited to participate in an eco-tour through the Everglades. Since the conference organizers planned the eco-tour and were humane educators themselves, I felt confident that our tour would be, as described, ecologically friendly. Sadly, it [...]
Filed under: Environmental Preservation, MOGO (Most Good), accurate information, animal protection, critical thinking, values | Tagged: humane education, animal protection, accurate information, critical thinking, values, MOGO choices, environmental protection, inquiry, labels, eco-tours, Everglades | 1 Comment »
I just watched a new TED talk given by author Sam Harris, titled, “Science Can Answer Moral Questions.” I recommend watching it and considering his (to my mind reasonable, to others quite provocative) perspective. When I was a freshman in college, a friend of a friend had gone off to travel the world. He wound [...]
Filed under: Cultural Issues, MOGO (Most Good), integrity, values | Tagged: goodness, Most Good Least Harm, values, MOGO choices, TED.com, science, evil, religion, morality, spirituality | 2 Comments »
I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to contact me at Zoe@HumaneEducation.org.
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