Freewill

1148:

Edited by CJ Tointon

*Blog is on holiday until October 3rd. This blog will be the last for a short while, or at least intermittent, depending on access to Wifi.

I need to remind myself that free-will rules. If I’m persuading a free-willed mind to come down on my side (the side of the animals) I must strike a balance between letting ‘the will’ be ‘free’ and trying to give it a shove along. On the ‘shove’ side, I might use a few well known mind-shockers, concerning animal cruelty and human health. They’re either big off-putters or big persuaders. My shove would be suggesting habit-change, specifically shopping changes.

         

My theory is that when people understand that there’s good reason for change, they’ll be more inclined to experiment. Often, we’re most likely to change to keep pace with others who’re changing. It’s a question of being ‘in-fashion’.

As a free-willed person, change is something one ‘does’ voluntarily. If I were to consider making any major change in my life, I think I’d want it to be permanent or at least long term. I don’t think any of us respond too well to intimidation, so if I’m being pushed to change it’s likely not to last, because I’ll never be sure if it was my change or someone else’s. I prefer that all major change springs out of inspiration.

Change should arise quite naturally, as a wish for something not yet current, like cruelty-free food or planet-saving measures. Then change is made in the right spirit. Then, it’s likely we’ll never look back. On the other hand, if I change out of fear, like when the doctor tells you you’re seriously ill and you make a dash for eleventh-hour healthy eating, the reason it might not work is that you’re in terror. It’s as if there’s nowhere for the change to take hold. It’s the same when we’re hurried along by expectation or value judgement. We’re always fighting from a point of negative balance.

Change has to be fresh. Self generated, enthusiastic and with exciting expectations. Passionate change is energy-producing and life-giving. It’s powered from within, so that it’s strong enough to withstand the rough patches, and self propelled enough to keep our free-will intact.

         

Freewill is the great achievement of human development. It’s always open to challenge but it’s our armour against all the terribleness the world puts up against us. If a vegan rebels against the conventions of the day, then the greater the difficulty faced, the greater the strengthening of resolve. It is, in the vegan’s way of seeing things, a most intelligent way to heal the world. But if that seems over-ambitious and therefore makes me want to shout it from rooftops, then perhaps I’d do better to keep my enthusiasm under wraps. I must always bear in mind that free-will can’t be underestimated. It protects free people and gives them confidence to make their own decisions, for better or worse. We can’t afford to dismiss the power of someone’s free-will. For instance, if you find me criticising your food it could easily look like me trying to pick a fight. You’d be within your rights to be defending your free-will. And you’ll want to avoid me and my sort of rudeness in future.

If I want to persuade you to change, I can only suggest it mildly. I have to resist the temptation to try manipulating you. If I truly love my own free-will I must show respect for your free-will too. Whatever I might suggest, in the way of diet-change or the need for Animal Rights, mustn’t trample your freewill.

End blogs posted from Australia