“In the Buddhist world, materialism and determinism can be morally informative. First, they suggest that we aren’t as important or permanent as we think we are — that, in a fundamental sense, our selves or souls don’t really exist in any lasting way (a conclusion, incidentally, shared by Western philosophers like John Locke and Derek Parfit). This, in turn, suggests that satisfying our own personal needs and wants shouldn’t be our number-one priority; instead, we should focus on projects that benefit everyone, and work to become more kind and generous to our fellow human beings.”

Zoë Pollock quoting Josh Rothman