Listening to opposite views

By adopting an overall non-violent approach in communication, we don’t weaken our connection with people nor weaken our consideration of animals. We emphasise the way we think reform should come about. The underlying principle of non-violence is guardianship and that means encouraging a feeling of responsibility towards the animals in our care. It also implies that we are kind with one another and patient enough to allow people to change at their own rate and within their own capacity. Certainly change is urgent, certainly the horrors of animal farming must be stopped as quickly as possible but nothing can be hurried when we are dealing with free willed people who hold strongly felt opinions. We deal with free-willed people and it’s this free will that humans have fought so hard to get. The downside of free will is that it has given us permission to slip underneath the scrutiny of responsibility, humans being so great in the scheme of things that we are exempt from culpability. That makes this particular free willed species a very dangerous one indeed.
If we, as vegans, want to alter people’s views about animals we certainly have a hard fight on our hands but it isn’t the sort of fight that requires aggression. It’s one that establishes connections with people, without rushing them, by listening to them, even when they seem to have opposite views to ours. And if they still believe in their right to eat or exploit animals, then we are faced with a big test: to show we can listen without feeling threatened or by not resorting to violent reaction.
If we can get that straight, then we can go that extra step and resist the temptation to make personal value judgements. About ‘them’. By not aggressively defending what we believe, we stand a chance of getting through to even the most obstinate people. If we attack, there’s going to be counter attack … and then no one’s listening to anybody.