Strategy

Animal Rights needs a communication upgrade! As vegans we have our own weaknesses and they need to be addressed as much as the general public needs to address theirs, if only to keep our judgementalism in check. But speaking of the animal-eating masses, their habit of condoning killing and eating of animals is a weakness and that’s all it is. Vegans need to be able to show it for what it is, but ONLY that. No rancour, no disrespect and no value judgements. We don’t win long term commitment by inducing guilt or fear in people, only by showing we respect them and are interested in their welfare. Then we can keep them on side. Apart from wanting to be warm with people, it’s of strategic advantage to be warm. Warm translates as willing to help.
Let’s say we are together, you and I. If you look at my face, you’ll pick up all the essentials as to how I’m feeling – either I’m relating to you non-judgementally (I’ll be giving off a signal: I like you or I accept you) OR I’m being judgemental (signalling disapproval or mistrust). I might not want you to see ‘judgemental’ in me and I may not want to be judgemental, but all that’s overridden by my wanting to show off. I may want nothing more than to show my high standards. I may even be prepared to risk our relationship for the sake of this. By letting you know that I disapprove of something you do, I gamble on you finding my honesty valuable. And that shows you I’m not trying to deceive you about how I feel. But for the onlooker this may not be what they see at all – rather it will be seen as ‘covering our tracks’, blocking any opportunity of you disapproving of me.
If I’m being judgemental, it is all about values, mine and yours. It’s about me needing to establish my credentials, showing I have something to say and establishing my right to say it. If I express a moral judgement (aimed at you) you may take offence. If it’s the other sort of judgement it isn’t the same thing at all. For example, to judge the fire as hot. No one disputes that. The heat is evidence-based. That fire burns is self evident. But when I assess your values, that’s a subjective statement about my values being better than yours. My judging may not necessarily be fair or carefully researched, but because I feel it is right, I’m impelled to make my position clear. I relate my values to yours. I take it as my responsibility to impress you with my values. I may even think to shock you. What I say to you, I hope, will ‘wake you up’.
A judgement or a disapproval lands us in all sorts of deep water. It’s as clumsy an interaction as when you insult me and I punch you in the face. I do it without thought almost. I react before I’ve thought it through, and the damage is done and can only be undone with a lot of effort. This is a powerful moment, my punching you in the face. My judgement is quick, clear and almost primeval. I dislike you and I am showing it decisively. I act speedily to keep my advantage, before I can give myself time to make more considered response.
Acts like this are automatic for those who are afraid to think. Each day we make decisions without taking the trouble to consider more carefully. Perhaps that’s because we don’t have enough time or patience to consider anything much. We think and act almost simultaneously, instinctively, impulsively liking or disliking. When it comes to straight talking it might not be such a bad thing, if our friends come to know us as speakers. But if we haven’t thought carefully about it we may use the shock and attack approach and not care about their feelings or setting off a whole train of insensitivity ending us as a grand mistake. So where does that leave us? Perhaps strategically needing to be very careful about making value judgements.