Don’t condemn, encourage

483: The more likely it is that I’m losing my argument the more aggressive I’m likely to be. If you’re not listening to what I’m saying, if you’re ignoring me, I get upset. If I can learn to take the initiative by NOT getting angry, what then? Can I perhaps strategise? Can I make some positive judgements about you or at least be a passive observer so I can find out what you’re thinking. I’m not obliged to convert the agnostic. I’m not saying this to seem passive or serene but simply to be fair. I can’t be sure how close you might be to ditching your old habits (animal foods) and listening to what I have to say. What a disaster if I misjudge you and turn you against me (and ‘it all’) for ever. If I can throw some light on one or two of your dark corners and give you a better idea of how things are from my point of view I’m serving you better than pre-judging you and cutting you down. Advocating for animals is still fairly unusual. Vegans are unlikely to significantly impact on people’s psyches, yet a while. But we are seed planters (in more ways than one). Our job is surely to encourage in a world that is dying for the want of imaginative, positive encouragement. I see it all the time, parents and teachers praising moderate achievements of children - why don’t I do it all the time, adult to adult, over the development of this particular ethic?