The system has beaten you down, left you tired and bloody on the floor, but you’ve never been one to throw in the towel. You’ll do everything it takes to make the world a safe place!!! …Except if it means you’ll have to miss a class. I mean, pop quizzes wait for nobody, not even revolutionaries like you! 

Does this make you a little cowardly? Maybe. But we’ve all been there! Being a ‘moral’ human being is exhausting; if we were ethical, we wouldn’t have movies, books, chocolates, cats or fresh fruit. I guess if we were truly ethical people, we’d die to save the planet our carbon dioxide. But dying means an expensive funeral, which would put a financial strain on our families… which could negatively impact their future goals, and… Oh, god! Why is this so hard? 

When it feels too overwhelming to try, we have to turn to our old friend, utilitarianism. It’s a scary word that’s been appropriated by different groups to mean different things. But for our purposes, utilitarianism is doing the greatest amount of good for the greatest number of people. So you read a book, had some chocolate and went to class. That’s not a crime! If you volunteered, donated money or even held the door for someone, you’ve immediately made the world a better place. You can also weigh options; some chocolate brands are less ethical than others. Call them on their shit! Inform others! Buy from a different brand! 

Lastly, be kind to yourself. Wallowing in self-loathing for not being as helpful as you could be helps nobody. Do your best with the tools available to you. If you missed the protest for class, go to the next one! Besides, this is a liberal arts college. Your professor runs the risk of a walk-out for the ‘glorious revolution’ every time they have a class. Now go into the world as a positive influence, comrade!