Doing it solo

998: 

Being liked by others might feel great, especially if you’re a vegan, but that probably means you’re still depending on others’ good opinion of you, even though that might not extend to your ‘weird’ animal rights views and habits.

           

However, if other people are living their life counter to our own principles, if in our opinion they are ethically compromised, then their opinion of us might not have that much currency anyway. It might mean we’ve no role model to look up to and that might lead to feeling alone. So therefore we have to find a way of surviving strongly enough not to need others’ approval.

Being vegan is inevitably a solo pursuit, simply because there are still so few people living ethical, animal-free lives. So on this matter of finding approval or even discussing the subject of animal-use, we have to be prepared to deal with stone-walling, and see it as normal. If there’s no support forthcoming, we must try not to need it.

           

Our strengths have one fertile ground in which to grow - this one inspiring example of non-violent living. We shouldn’t be weakened by having no one around to guide us or encourage us. Our strength has to come from being ethically safe, and knowing that this must be enough to compensate us for the loss of others’ regard for what we believe in.