The meaning of our circles

We all start out in life as babies only knowing our own immediate needs. Soon, we start to notice our caregivers, and develop object permanence. Over time what we know and care about expands to an extent as we mature, but what if we go further and what if we challenge our conditioning, habits and systemic limitations? 

The smallest circle in our logo represents self, the next is loved ones, then community, then environment, and then beyond.  After self, all of these circles include other species.

Ethical Earthlings strive to be aware of our biases and privileges so we can learn to expand all of these circles in our moral considerations and become good allies.  Often when we are promoting justice for a marginalized or objectified group, someone will ask “Where do you draw the line?” Instead of drawing lines, why not expand circles as far as we possibly and practically can?

There is a famous quote by Nobel Peace Prize recipient Albert Schweitzer: “Until he extends the circle of his compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace.” If we update the language I would like to say, “Until we humans extend our circle of respect, peace and justice to all living beings we will not find peace ourselves.”

 Within the human species and between all earthlings, we are all more alike than not. When we divide others into groups and then assign moral value to those groups, or allow a dominant group to seize power and rule over other groups with merciless brutality, society suffers. Human society has rewarded injustice and inequality too often. The Ethical Earthling Society seeks to always speak truth to power. We value our differences, respect others and treat others as we would want to be treated.