The divide between us

423:

I find it’s difficult to remain passive when I’m speaking about animals (that are used for food) with a meat eater. But I try to keep quiet and listen. And then whatever I do say, I try to say off beat. As if the values I want to present might be too strong, too contrary to theirs; that my point of view might need to be taken in by them almost subliminally. Otherwise, what I say will seem like a subtle attack - asking the questions I know the answers to - “this is what I do, and is that different to what you do?”
I sense that any value judgements I’m making (of them) will show up, however clever I think I’m being in attempting to hide them. Which is why I try to move right away from making judgements, even in my own mind, so that I’m better placed to observe their point of view. And once I’m familiar with that, I feel that I’m in a much better position to be helping them transition to a new attitude.