982:
Once I can clean up my own act at home (establish a vegan
kitchen for example) it’s a good start. Then
I can see what I look like. I consult
the mirror. Ah yes, what a fine image I
present - a complaisant vegan, ready to climb into the pulpit and tell everyone
I meet what sinners they are. I can
preach about how I’ve seen the light, etc? What a great figure of fun I’d be, if I tried
that stunt.
If I want to be taken at all seriously, any hint of that
must vanish. Being the pontificator is
exactly what others WANT to see, since that makes me look like an old-time evangelist.
It’s much harder to ignore someone you
like and respect. So, there’s a balance
to strike here. My aim is to be likeable
and yet direct, self-effacing yet clear about where I’m coming from. If I get that balance right it will show in
the confidence I feel when attempting to communicate – naturally I’ll want to
talk about animals, food, abattoirs, as well as dreams for the future and my fears
concerning the present. Naturally I’ll
want to share what I know with anyone who’ll listen. And you’ll guess that ultimately I’m aiming at
helping to build a strong support base for animal liberation.
I should want you to see through me and for you to find
nothing too cheesy. I’d want you to
sense my attempt to balance passion with outrage with compassion.
For me, it isn’t enough to simply pass on information. A hell-fire preacher can do that easily
enough. Today, we have to recognise that
the punter is more sophisticated and discerning. We’ve all been bombarded with information and
misinformation. You can’t blame people
for being cynical and suspicious. Perhaps
simple and transparent is safest - if I have anything serious to say, my ideas should
be based on facts that can be referenced. But in the end it’s an emotional exchange, the
ideas are simple and fairly black and white, requiring a simple agreement or
disagreement. As presenters of our
argument, the most important thing is that we must try to be likeable people.
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