communicating veganism

Why are we so keen to talk about all this? Talk about new ideas, altered attitudes and changing habit patterns? Perhaps it’s not as facile as wanting something new to chatter about but a more genuine wish to implant a sense of optimism in others. "Optimistic veganism" is a light on the future. We’ve discovered a jewel and simply want to share our good fortune.
If we can see the potential in this idea, it’s likely we’ll be busting to talk about it. We figure that once (it is) seen (it will) never (be) forgotten. But instead of this jewel being admired, something unexpected happens. We hit a hurdle. A barrier drops and we don’t understand why. No one wants to listen to what we have to tell them. Maybe this is our first taste of rejection over a point of principle, the first time we’ve been cold-shouldered. This rejection feels real because of the energy it sucks out of us. It hurts and it’s intended to hurt or at least bring us up with a jolt. Almost everything will be thrown at us, not only in words but in unspoken feelings of disapproval, in order to bring us back into the fold (in the style of “we’ll do anything to bring you home”). At bottom, it’s a suspicion the majority of people hold about minority types - that not only are they deluded but (in what they are saying) that they are less sincere than they seem. Animal rightists, who speak about kindness to animals, are often seen as being not really kind people at all, but people who can only show love towards "creatures" and not to their fellow human beings. Whether this is true or not, the rejection vegans often feel makes them try all the harder to come across as sincere people. And ultimately that is not such a bad thing. Vegans may learn the hard way. But this matter of being utterly sincere and not having any ulterior motives, is central to our credibility. And eventually our effectiveness.