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For some of us the penny has dropped - we are not just
plant-eaters or animal lovers, we are simply more empathetic to the plight of
enslaved animals and more aware of the dangers of animal-based foods. That
doesn’t necessarily mean we are nice people, but it does mean we’ve seen a
pattern emerging; by dropping animal protein and generally cleaning-up our own
act, we’ve been able to see the bigger picture.
The
satisfaction I get from seeing that makes me feel grateful, and I suspect my
tendency to empathise springs from the gratitude of having that veil lifted.
And even if I’m not a nice person, this realisation makes me a less cold-hearted
one.
Moving on, past empathy, past
compassion, I end up with a defined ‘interest’; this whole subject becomes more
fascinating the more I get into it. It helps me understand this human-dominated
world and it lets me study more closely the reasoning of people, who seem to me
(without me ever letting them know it) quite lost.
But coming right back to the
start of all this, to where your average omnivore starts to consider
‘compassion and empathy’ in terms of philosophy, it’s the start of a deeper
awareness of other major global issues. And that, in turn, sensitises a person
to the rationale behind vegan principle.
It’s not just about the food we
eat but about applying ‘vegan principles’ to daily life. It affects us on so
many different levels. It might start with shopping for different food items
and clothing, and then painfully struggling with cravings and addictions, but
as momentum builds, it has the effect of strengthening the mind; it inspires
the emergence of responsibility for repairing damage. It even inspires a new
identity for our self. So, if you move from animal-eating to eating solely
plant-based foods, you begin to think more broadly, and that gives something
else a chance to form - a new self-identity.
With less aggro comes less of a determination
to be ‘right’, to win arguments at all costs, to avoid quarrelling, all of
which are useful character traits for the peaceful defending of animals. Their
eventual liberation will come about when we stop trying to apply pressure on
people to change, and show that we respect their freedom to change when they
are ready.
Whenever we touch on what people
should and should not eat, it has the potential for sparking a fight. I’m a
coward in a quarrel and try to find another way, any other way. I’m not saying
to NOT bravely uphold one’s position, but we should NOT let the expression of
our views deteriorate to the point where we’re fighting people over them. Apart
from the rights of animals, veganism is also about the overall ethic of
non-violence. So, whenever we clash, we lose some valuable ground. There’s a
lot to lose if disagreements-of-opinion turn sour: things get sour when they
get personal.
It’s true that in Animal Rights
you can lose friends by the truckload if you’re confrontational. We can easily build
a reputation for being evangelical. By being less aggressive, by being calm and
informative and adopting a gentler way of going about things, we can make our
point all the more effectively. It’s true that we do have urgent things to say.
We know that the omnivore has a defence shield and we need to break through on
some level. The question is, do we risk a fight over it? And if a fight breaks
out how do we dampen the flames?
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