Freewill

178:

I need to remind myself that free-will rules. If I’m persuading a free-willed mind to come down on my side I must strike a balance between letting it know itself and giving it a shove along. On the ‘shove’ side I might use a few well known mind-shockers, concerning animal cruelty and human health. They’re either big off-putters or big persuaders. My shove would be suggesting habit-change, specifically shopping changes.
My theory is that when people understand good reason for change, they’ll be more inclined to experiment, since it’s for constructive reasons we want to change after all. And today change is happening everywhere. Often we’re impelled to change to keep pace with others who’re already changing.
As a free-willed person, if I’m going to change (when something needs changing) I’d be wanting to do it voluntarily. And I’d want it to stick, to be long term. If I’m pushed, if I’m forced or manipulated my change probably won’t last - I’ll never know if it was really my change or someone else’s. On the other hand when change is inspired ...
If we’re attracted to any of today’s movements-for-change, like cruelty-free, veganism, liberation, planet-saving ... if we change in the right spirit we’ll never look back. On the other hand if I change out of fear it’ll turn into a nightmare - like when the doctor tells you you’re seriously ill and you make a dash into healthy eating, in terror of your life. There’s nowhere for the changes to get a grip ... when they’re hurried along or being over-examined for results. Whereas enthusiastic, passionate change is something else entirely.
When I started on any big life-changes, I always wanted to be sure not to revert back to my old ways, as soon as things got rough. In other words I always wanted to keep some sort of control of myself, to keep my free-will intact.
To me, freewill is the apex of human development. I don’t want to lose this great perk of being human. My free-will may be challenged by all the terribleness of the world but its strength comes from what I’m doing about it. I’d say that just by being vegan one can help to heal the world ... and of course, seeing everything through vegan eyes I inevitably want everyone to become vegan. And yet I’d hold back, because I know free-will mustn’t be underestimated. I know I mustn’t be disrespectful of someone’s free-will. For instance, I can’t be having a nice, casual conversation with you and then suddenly ask you, “What’s that in your sandwich”, pointing to the ham. I’d look like a vegetarian trying to pick a fight. You’d be offended and defensive ... and try to avoid such a rude person in future.
As a friend, if I think you should change I can only suggest it, mildly. The temptation is to be less mild! I can try to be forceful and I can try to manipulate you. But as a lover of free-will, yours and mine, whatever I suggest in terms of Animal Rights mustn’t trample your freewill. Anyway, you won’t let me. You’ll want to make up your own mind for yourself. If there are going to be any changes you need to know they’re safe ones ... which brings me back to the importance of people having confidence in what we, vegans, are saying.
Any suggestions I make to you have to be both convincing and enticing, and preferably at your behest. I’d rather have you dragging information out of me rather than me foisting it onto you.