Meeting resistance

1828: 

What sort of people are vegans speaking to when we do get the chance to speak? We always hope they will be compliant and eager to learn. But often, we're faced with ‘reluctants’.

We have to bear in mind that many people don’t feel badly about behaving badly. If they do know about the suffering of animals, it might not matter to them, and therefore eating these animals won’t concern them either. It seems as though nothing will get them to pull back on their animal eating. They will only change their food-eating patterns if they have reason enough and want to badly enough.

We can appeal to their sense of right-behaviour, to their health, to their compassion but if animal-eating is legal and if most other people do it, there’s no argument in the world that will persuade some hardened carnivores to change, especially if they aren’t afraid of the effects of animal food; it is their usual food after all. But just in case they have been troubled by what they’ve heard, they’ll try not to let their mind rest on the subject of Animal Rights, let alone consider changing their diet as radically as we are suggesting.

For all of us, our favourite foods each play a part in maintaining the equilibrium of our mood. It’s the one consistently satisfying material we have access to. Continuously, throughout the day, our body needs topping up to satisfy hunger as well as our emotional needs. We usually go for ‘eatables’ which make us feel good. We all know from an early age the exact pleasure in the taste of things. So, an ice cream will be an instant gratifier, or a chocolate bar, a milk-shake or a steak. Gaining access to foods and drinks that will guarantee pleasure is something we all know 'how to do'. It's a most familiar pursuit. We know what we like, and make sure we get it. We need a very good reason to avoid any ‘satisfier’.

However, if we want to take up an ethical reform of our lives, and if it were as all-encompassing as veganism, then we are going into the business of confronting our food addictions. That might prove difficult enough for ourselves as we wrestle with our senses and try to take control of our decision-making. But it will also be disturbing for our friends and family; going vegan is a bit like committing social suicide, in that we would be eating differently to other people.

Vegans, as most people realise, acquire a different perspective to non-vegans. And in attempting to persuade people away from their usual food regime, we are often met with reluctance or hostility. We speak of animals having rights and we see people’s eyes glaze over. Our 'words of wisdom' will meet either indifference or outright dismissal. So in the face of resistance, we need to work out how to initiate some form of communication on the subject of animal-eating and attitudes towards farmed animals. Once there’s talk there’s hope!