It is so flipping hard to try explain human rights to people lately. How on earth do I stop it from making me cold and heartless?
If you haven't already, read up on statistics, history, and economics.
Statistics can show you that we're actually doing better at many things.
History can show you just how much better.
Economics can show you how we can improve what we've done. It'll also show you why Human Rights are getting harder to explain and what we can do about that.
I've noticed that poeple tend to become more conservative as they age. I have made a point to stick to progessive thinking but I do notice that family and friends have become more weary of the younger generation and expressing more conservative values like I used to think of my parents and family. My suggestion, reach out to the younger generation.
Hmmm... I've gotten more liberal as I age.
Most of the time, if you see things differently, it's you changing. Pretty hard to change others in order to see change. And we've become an even more selfish country--for lots of reasons. Mainly because of the European masses coming to get a piece of something, no matter who or what. Haven't learned how to share. Trump shows us what babies we still are.
You are experiencing cognitive dissonance. The groups with which you are associated share common values, and some of your values are substantially diffeent. They are putting pressure on you to "shape up" and adopt their values. If you do not they will start excluding you from contacts with and activities of the group. Your best choice, if you want to maintain your human rights values, is to find new groups to associate with. Otherwise, your current group is going to make life uncomfortable for you and -- if you are not strong enough -- coerce you into to dropping your human rights values. I don't think you want to do that.
That's why I joined this group. I heard it was insanely accepting and positive and so far it is a breath of fresh air. Its changed a lot for me so far.
Stop trying to explain. If you feel you have to explain, they won't understand.