Out of interest

514:



Aggressive vegans like me, don’t do ourselves or the Animal Rights Movement any favours, by force-feeding facts to people who don’t want them. You can never be sure if it’s necessary anyway. Most people are aware, essentially, of ‘animal issues’. However, they choose not to let on; or they do realise but still eat animal-based foods anyway; or they get irritated by being lectured at (because they think that I don’t know what I’m talking about). Because I’ve lit fires under tender spots their irritation is in the form of non-recognition of me, as any sort of authority. I say, “Meat will kill you”. And “Oh yes?” they say.

We vegans often do adopt an authoritativeness in our voices. How do we know we’re right? For me that’s not such a serious question, but often I don’t get as far as that anyway, to explain anything in detail, because I’m not allowed. And that triggers maybe aggression in me. I’m rebuffed. So I step over the politeness-boundary and try to persuade. At this point a hand is raised, “Stop. I’ve heard it all before”. They forestall me, afraid I’ll become emotional. Or irrational. Or predictable.

With people I know, it’s often not the first time I’ve brought up the subject. And it’s not the first time I’ve seemed to be an authority or rubbed guilt in like an emotional blackmailer. You have every right to stop me speaking.

If you do let me speak, maybe you aren’t wanting to discourage me, or you’re trying to show respect for where I’m coming from, by not belittling my beliefs? In this interplay of human-to-human I’ll take my chances where I can find them.

All I can do is try NOT to be predictable. And not to go for the jugular. What I can do is show an easy familiarity with my subject.

I was thinking today about this. I wondered about the least unfriendly way to open up this subject, knowing that discussing it wouldn’t be a first choice for most people.

Say we were discussing another subject - ‘the kids’ recent bad behaviour. How easy I could relate almost any bad behaviour back to overeating, violence or frustration on the part of the child ... and then to bring up the matter of ‘giving kids the best opportunities in life’; giving them something to work for; giving them the best energy; giving them a great body image. All of this, I can suggest, is in vegan food and vegan philosophy. I can drive almost any conversation around to these entry points. But should I?

I probably have done this. And because I have then I’m probably predictable. Your defences go up when I show my face. Quite frankly, if I were you mine would too. I’d avoid me.

So what can any of us (Animal Rights advocates) do to sidestep the predictability of our persona, always steering things towards this pet subject?

I don’t know if it works but I attempt to be half entertaining and half educating. I think most people respond quite well to that. I attempt to be useful but most of all interesting. But even so, this subject is automatically a killer-of-interest. Anything predictable is a dud, interest-wise.

But if I can somehow seduce you into interest, then I can best hold it by keeping you on the edge of your seat, keeping you guessing what’s coming next, or rather what question you might be thinking of asking me next.

I’m very conscious of you hoping for an escape clause, to stem the guilt factor. You know I know you’re poisoning yourself and hurting animals in the process, and for that you’ll guess I’ll want to attack you. So this is where I head, first up - “Please don’t turn information into accusation”. “Take the bare facts on board. Take them away and think about them”. My only aim is to be clear. And I hope on that score that I’m never unclear about where I’m coming from.

Presentation – I try to keep a quietened-down face and keep all shrill tones out of my voice. If you see I mean no harm, it’s likely you’ll feel free to be yourself.

To me there’s no difference between cats and humans, I act like this with a cat in the hope of winning its trust and affection (it’s the same with humans showing their feelings), and when I do, it’s at this point where true dialogue begins.

This is what I want to do. I want to light up the truth. (And, don’t we all?) I especially want to discover what interests you. And that’s not going to be easy, necessarily, especially if it doesn’t seem relevant to this ‘animal’ subject. I’ve no talent for this, so when you like football I can’t connect that to the ‘compassionate arts’,. And I can’t chat on about inconsequentialities anyway or spend time luring you towards that which is of zero interest, when there are so many profound things to talk through.

But if I can catch your interest, then it’s down to me to hold your interest (and very, very importantly, to notice if it wanes). And then talk about anything but this subject.

If it were me listening to you talking, about Animal Rights, veganism, liberation, etc, my suspicions are there by my side. I am always waiting for your barb. So, if I’m talking to you about this subject, my first aim is to assure you I HAVE NO BARB.

But that aside, and back to YOU talking to me, chucking the vegan spiel at me, and with me listening. I know you’re going to embarrass me. You’ll launch into ‘virtuous diets’ and ‘the guiltless conscience’. Whilst I’ll be saying, “Hang on” and “Watch your manners”. I first want to know who you are, and who this person is who’s talking to me about all this heavy stuff.

My own pretence to hail-fellow-well-met is seen through easily. Religious zealots do it. They start off in soft chat and then, out of the blue, they introduce ‘The Lord’. Suddenly casual has turned into ‘deep and meaningful’. Do I want to be here? Listening to a vegan talking Animal Rights, you’ll at least be wonder if you can handle this.

First up then, if I’m conversing with you, I want it to be known that I’m not a shyster, that you’ll be wasting your time listening to me. If you think I’m fair dinkum there’s a better chance you’ll listen. Out of interest.