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 its independence and my 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-along is for habit-change, specifically changing one’s shopping decisions.

My theory is that when people understand constructive reasons for change, they’ll be more inclined to experiment with change.  Today, change is happening every where, with many of us impelled to change to keep pace with others who’re already changing.  This might simply be keeping up with a certain fashion.

As a free-willed person, if I’m going to change (when something needs changing) I have to be inspired.  My change has to be made voluntarily, and with the aim of it being long term.  But if I’m pushed or manipulated, my change probably won’t last long.  I'll never knowing if it was really my change or if I was copying someone else’s.

If we’re attracted to any of today’s movements-for-change, like cruelty-free buying, veganism, animal liberation or planet-saving, if its our own choice and it’s done in the right spirit, we’ll never look back.  On the other hand if I change out of fear it could turn into a nightmare - like when the doctor tells you you’re seriously ill and you make a dash for healthy living, in terror of your life.  Fear might spark a change but there’s nowhere for the changes to get a grip.  When change is hurried and laden with unrealistic expectations, results ‘retreat’ and disappointment follows.  Whereas enthusiastic, passionate change is something else entirely.

Whenever I’ve set out on any big life-changes, I’ve been aware of the danger of reverting back to old ways as soon as things got rough.  In other words, I’ve had to be sure the initial spark was strong; I always wanted to keep my free-will intact.

To me, freewill is the apex of human development.  I don’t want to lose this great facility.  I know that if my free-will is threatened, my strength of purpose returns when I am upholding a core value – for example,  just by being vegan I know that I can, in a small way, help to heal one of the World’s big problems.  That helps me reflect on the bigger picture. I see everything through vegan eyes, and can see favourable resolution.  And this of course makes me want everyone to become vegan.

If I hold back at all it’s out of another core value, which is respect for free-will, not my own but yours.  I know I mustn’t be disrespectful of anyone’s free-will.  So, for instance, I can’t be having a casual conversation with you and then suddenly ask you, “What’s that in your sandwich”?, pointing to the ham I can see you eating in it.  That would seem like my trying to pick a fight with you.  You’d be offended and defensive, and want to avoid me in future.

As a friend, if I think you should change I can only suggest it, mildly without disturbing your free-will.  Specifically, this is something you are likely to be sensitive about (your right to eat what you like in your sandwich).  For me though, the temptation is for me to interfere, to suggest less mildly!  There’s nothing to stop me from trying to manipulate you, but as a lover of free-will I won’t.  Whatever I suggest, in terms of Animal Rights, should be seen to be trampling on your freewill.  And anyway, you won’t let me do that, since you will always want to make up your own mind for yourself.

If there are going to be any major changes in your life, you firstly need to assess them for safety, health safety, social safety and a few other safeties too.  So, with these constraints in mind, I’m brought back to the importance of people eventually having to make their own decisions for themselves, which can only be based on a confidence based on what they’ve been told.  Confidence in what we, vegans, are saying.

         

Any suggestions I make to you have to be both convincing and enticing, without any emotional pressure from me.  I’d rather have you dragging information out of me than my foisting it onto you.