Balance

 651:

If vegans ever get round to firing volleys at ‘the enemy’, then let our shot land where it will, and if it misses its mark then we’ll have to try again. We shouldn’t worry about missing our target by pitching what we have to say at the wrong level – let’s not forget that apart from passing on information to the omnivore we are, at the same time, testing our own ‘main approach road’. Communication can only work when we are happy that we’ve got our own approach in balance and just the way we want it.

I often wonder whether we vegans are aware of how we come across to others. We see one thing very clearly, that almost every single human of adult age is participating in some act of animal enslavement. We don’t necessarily see as clearly that we ourselves play a rather cold game of one-upmanship. When we are talking up the principles of veganism does that mean we can ride ‘rough-shod’ over people’s feelings, and ‘hang the consequences’?

            I think it doesn’t, if only because we shouldn’t create a communication problem where none is needed. One unthought-out word or look can scythe down a whole relationship in moments. It can happen fast and it can create a permanent change of atmosphere where friends become non-friends, overnight.