Free-will

1569: 

When young people are growing up they develop reasons and justifications for what they do. They get drawn into an ‘adult world’, which has already been set up. They must accept most of it just to survive. Maybe they want to make changes but if they do, there might be too much personal loss involved. If they start to enjoy their newly acquired free-will, it’s only because it's been granted by the adult world. As they become adults and are allowed to exercise free-will, and now have an ability to earn serious money, there come adult privileges - they can drive, vote, stay out late, use intoxicants, eat foods of choice, dress in clothes they choose, etc. From having been controlled during childhood, now, with free-will, they have a ‘get-out-of-jail-free’ card. They can determine things their own way. But they can’t necessarily change the world they live in. They more or less have to fit in.

         

Unfortunately many adults use free-will to experience pleasure but they don't use it to face up to their responsibilities. They miss the subtler opportunities to construct an individual code of values, and instead become followers of others' values.

If we, as vegans, try to push our views too hard we fail, because we don’t take into account people’s determination to protect their free-will, their ‘right-to-choose’ or indeed their right to follow. In most instances, self interest trumps the chance to act for the ‘greater good’. It undermines the really inspiring challenges-of-life, making them appear more difficult than they really are. Self interest warps the appearance of things. Normality appears convincing. Change seems dangerous. The rut feels comfortable. Once we feel the dash of youth passing, we assume an aging mentality, towards conserving what we have and looking no further.

As radical thinkers, as active vegans, as pioneers of non-violence, we might come to realise that certain great challenges, based on what seem to be high-sounding ideas, are not so very problematic after all. Vegan living doesn't threaten a peaceful existence, quite the opposite in fact. As vegans, we know what we stand for might be anathema to those who don't feel as passionately as we do. So, we are lucky to feel that passion, to see things so clearly, to pass across the difficulties in order to reach a point of peace. But does that give us the right to persuade others when they might not be so fortunate? When we don’t take into account their love of free-will, to act in any (legal) way they want to? We can try, we can be a resource for anyone who feels as we do, but free-will is double-edged - it can help drive us forward but can equally hold us back when we dig our obstinate heels in.