The charging rhinoceros

Tuesday 5th October 2010

When things get too uncomfortable for the vegan activist and the disinterest of the omnivores brings out our anger (… and in consequence we blow it), that’s the moment we show ourselves to be amateur. The pro will use the same anger but in a different way. Acting-out the role of angry parent or angry teacher may be totally non-threatening because it’s so obviously under control and not aimed personally.
I had a teacher once who was always angry and was the most loved member of staff amongst the kids. She was always honest, she was trusted and you knew where you stood with her ... and her anger was measured carefully to be effective and to show a real sense of caring for her charges’ welfare.
It’s a different story when personal dislike is attached to the anger. This sort of anger usually erupts faster than we see it coming. So, the trick would be to spot stop it in its tracks. There’s no advantage in showing it - we need to keep it private (assuming one is an active vegan/Animal Right advocate). We have enough on our hands when speaking in public, about this difficult matter. We need all our attention focused, for spotting the other guy’s anger brewing, to forestall it if possible. Once out, the anger is hard to retract.
Anger sours the atmosphere straight away. So, we need strategies to stop that knee-jerk reaction (like mentally counting to ten). When it comes, it shows immediately - the voice goes funny, it even screeches, our body language says the rest. It’s an art to conceal our blood boiling and to not seem like a rhinoceros about to charge.