Don't answer too quickly. It is a trick question, or is it? Let's look at some of the tricks. First of all, can you tell me how "normal" you are? Please be careful here. Normal relative to what? Normal in the loony bin is not so good. What did it mean to be normal in Hitler's Germany? What does it mean to be normal in the republican party today? OK but then are you a normal democrat? Do you narrow that to being a normal progressive democrat? If you have not yet seen where this is going read on below the break. You may be in trouble.
Start out by listing your beliefs. Then go through them and see which ones you really live up to. Make it easy on yourself. Try to assess the degree to which you really have choice in these matters. That is a trap as well you realize. Choice is also a loaded word. Choice can be a very sticky idea, especially in a complex society like ours.
Let us cut to the quick. How much do you really care about future generations? Think before you answer. "Care" is another loaded word. It can be used with varying degrees of commitment to the object(s) of that care.
Let me give an example of something in my life that was an object of my caring since my freshman Midshipman cruise in 1954. It is water. Aboard ship water was scarce. But personal cleanliness was important. This was resolved for us by teaching us the "Navy" shower. Wet yourself and turnoff the water. Soap up. Rinse. Not too profound is it? So ever since 1954 I have showered that way. Any estimate to the number of gallons of water I saved? I use this example because it is a "normal" part of my way of life and I almost never make it an issue.
Yet a simple Earth Day Ecological Footprint Quiz says that if everyone lived liked I do we would need 5 to 6 planet Earths to sustain us. Now there is a context for caring isn't it? I clearly care very little about future generations.
Oh but wait! I am active politically. I do so much and give so much. Is there a problem here? I suspect so.
There are the myths about the country I live in. I've voted and worked for political candidates and protested in the streets and committed Civil disobedience, etc. etc believing that I could make a difference. I study and I write and I try to understand. So why is the situation deteriorating? Why is he climate changing faster and faster? Why are the oligarchs and plutocrats getting more and more powerful? What have I missed?
I read so much here and so many seem to believe it is going to get better if we work harder and give more money and.....what?
There was a mass shooting in a school and the only significant result seems to be a rush on sales of weapons. This scenario seems to be anything but sane. Yet we all participate and to some degree are "normal". Please tell me what I am missing. For, from where I sit, we are all nuts!