How to lose friends and fail to influence people

937:

I often wonder whether we vegans are aware of how we come across to others. Communication can only work when our own approach is in balance and just the way we want it to be.

We see one thing very clearly, that almost every single human of adult age is participating in animal enslavement. It’s unarguable. But we have some blindness too; we don’t necessarily see that we play the game of one-upmanship. When we espouse the principles of veganism, it’s all too easy to ride ‘rough-shod’ over people’s feelings, and not consider the consequences of doing that. In our rush to get across our arguments we can easily create a communication problem where none was needed. One unthought-out comment by us can scythe down communication, and even destroy a whole relationship. It can happen so quickly, and it can create a permanent change of atmosphere where friends become non-friends, overnight.