The block against vegan-thinking is deep

1814 : 

   

One person eats meat and thinks nothing of it. Another would sooner die than touch the stuff.  That sounds like a big difference, but is it so large?  Here are two extremes of view, arrived at via two different reasonings.

         

It’s no good giving up eating meat if you hate the idea of being vegetarian. If you’re forcing yourself to eat food you don’t like you will either be ill or die. All of us know we have to feel good about our food choices, or at least not feel bad. If you are a meat eater then you’re going to have to put out of your mind what they do to animals on factory farms, or any sort of farms. You’ll have to see it as an ‘unimportant matter’ and not give it a second thought. And do quite a lot of pretending to convince yourself you aren’t being what you’d rather you weren’t.

For many of us though, it’s different. We need to develop a sensitive conscience because we suspect we are in the greatest of dangers, in that our minds are in danger of being manipulated.

We are an emulating species. We look up to those who are cleverer and more good looking than us. The well appointed actor in the ads looks happy and is doing or eating or selling something that looks attractive, implying that we can be just like him or her if we follow their advice.

For those of us not so easily fooled, who are far more cynical, we are perhaps more interested in seeking an independent mind. Do we not fear manipulation, blind conformity, allowing persuasion to work on us to convince us that what makes them look so happy and appealing will do the same for us? 

I’m very suspicious of my fellow humans, because I’ve seen what they are capable of, especially when they’ve turned off their discrimination, and followed commercially inspired advice, especially when that involves food, and attractive food at that. We all know, when it comes to those especially attractive animal products, that some vested interests are employing out of work actors to spruik their goods. They are the chief animal exploiters, and have picked on the weakest sentient beings, and taken advantage of their weakness.

           

My concern is that certain habits are entrenched so deeply that, even if change is possible it won’t be implemented, because people are just too comfortable with their existing habits, particularly food habits. It’s as if there’s not enough get-up-and-go in people to even address let alone tackle important issues, such as our consumer involvement in the unethical and unnecessary practice of using animals for food and clothing. They prefer to perceive these practices as unimportant, and consider veganism too high a price to pay for peace of mind. “We won’t consider it, won’t even discuss it. We won’t take it seriously”.