WHY I CAN’T BE (EMOTIONALLY) CLOSE TO NON-VEGANS

Wherever I go, I see animal suffering, an injustice so very well hidden behind blatant lies and already so far integrated into our habits, traditions, and everyday life, that violence done to others is not recognizable as that and oppression of non-human animals is not a superficial issue of society.

PREFACE

The title of this blog post already states my position, but I would like to explain it more in depth and detail, why this is such a huge issue for me. All the words lead up to the stated above, so please read carefully. This is an opinion post and may not apply to you or others. It is my intention to explain my site and my feelings about interpersonal relationships, and to create a safe space where others feel addressed and understood.

I HAVEN'T ALWAYS BEEN VEGAN

I would like to start by saying, that I wasn't always vegan. The decision to exclude any animal suffering, exploitation, and murder of non-human animals happened only two and a half years ago, and this happened unexpectedly.

♥ Read the full story regarding 'How I/We Went Vegan', HERE

To me, it feels like this way of living, this attitude to life, has always been me. Two and a half years ago my eyes got opened to the horrific truth of objectifying non-humans and all the little speciesist details which play a huge role in lessen others' worth to life and make humans feel superior to them to make it okay to oppress them.

Since I started to understand how important it is to dismantle speciesism and to make others see the same injustice built upon delusional thinking of superiority, I am active for non-human animals each day.

♥ Read about 'The Different Forms Of Animal Activism', HERE

I did not realize that I was relying more on others, social opinions, and standards, than questioning my own morals and actions.

BEING PART OF THE PROBLEM, NOT THE SOLUTION

For me it is hard to believe, that I once was so conditioned and brainwashed into such a corrupt system too, that made me believe that using and consuming animals for my benefits, for my daily life, was something normal and natural and most of all necessary. I was once part of the problem thinking that a vegetarian diet is enough, naively telling myself that "there is nothing wrong with cow's milk and eggs". It is not obvious that it's cruel if you are still in your bubble of not knowing but not doing research either (partly ignorance and self-protection) and denial, because you see advertising everywhere with colorful wrappings stocked to a maximum in supermarket shelves.

♥ Watch my YouTube video 'How Vegans See Advertising' Here (also available in German)

The media and social standards also played a huge role in my way of thinking and made me believe that a fully plant-based diet (vegan diet) and vegan way of thinking and living were "extreme, radical, exaggerated, unhealthy and overdoing it (unnecessary)".

I did not realize that I was relying more on others, social opinions, and standards, than questioning my own morals and actions. As a vegetarian, I was also part of the problem, not the solution.

SO WHY IS IT SO HARD FOR ME TO DEEPLY CONNECT WITH OTHERS NOT-YET-VEGANS, KNOWING WHERE THEY ARE COMING FROM?

Reality hit me hard when I woke up to everything that is wrong in this world and I got to know more and more about the animal industry every single day since then until today. I know that with each day I learn more and more about the evil practices, the unimaginable violence, and injustice.

The moment I learned what animals experience, what they have to endure and what they are exposed to, a world collapsed for me. The whole picture I had was shattered before my eyes.

It breaks my heart each day and it is on my mind all the time. My whole belief system was crushed and the video by James Aspey educating a woman on the dairy industry (watch here what made me understand) was the final indicator to truly understand what’s happening and it took its course from that moment on.

I was never the same person again, the moment I knew of what I have been paying for my whole life long. I was simply speechless and shocked, and I still am when I think of all the individuals who are held captive and get murdered for human animals' taste pleasure, for human greed.

A year into veganism I took the 'Liberation Pledge' and stopped sitting at tables where animal secretions and bodies are consumed. I never thought I would ever be able to do this, but I had to do it because my moral values and my reason and justice are more important to me than sitting at a table full of violence and brutality with people I somehow care about (because there is hope that they realize what they are paying for).

♥ Read more about 'The Liberation Pledge', HERE

My life changed to the positive when I started to exclude all forms of exploitation and murder in my life as far as possible and I got to experience who was a true friend and who was too conditioned, selfish, ignorant and egotistical to learn the most important thing in life:

Respect others. Respect life. Don't do anything to others you wouldn't want to be done to yourself.

I have internalized my values to the extent that it is incomprehensible to me that good people support such terrible actions. It blocks the way to form a deeper and more honest friendship with someone who hasn't made the connection yet.

IT'S A TRUST ISSUE FOR ME

I feel that I can't open up completely when I know that the person across from me is still supporting tremendous and horrendous things done to sweet and gentle animals screaming for help, mercy, and their life when their throats get slit.

I can't look at someone I know who is not yet vegan and not see all the images, videos, and personal experiences that I've seen and had. I immediately feel the need to talk to them and educate them, and I somehow expect them to understand immediately, make the connection and become vegan on the spot, because they are decent people who have the potential to distinguish right from wrong and make radical decisions based on moral convictions.

Knowing that the chances are a 50/50, that the person makes the connection in that very moment, stresses me out. I put so much pressure on myself to communicate it right, that I can't focus on anything else. It hurts me to know that they might go back home, and again haven't made the connection.

It sucks the energy and life out of me, in a moment where I would like to enjoy the plant-food and the company of someone whom I expect to be self-reflected, honest and critical with themselves and make emotionally intelligent and empathetic decisions in life.

I feel that I can’t open up completely.

I emotionally and/or physically distance myself at the moment when my counterpart prefers to remain ignorant.

HERE IS THE THING, TO CLARIFY AN EASY MISUNDERSTANDING

I still give people the benefit of the doubt, of course! I can see great potential in others due to their potential of embracing their empathy for others and to waking up to the massacre of innocent non-human animals.

I emotionally and/or physically distance myself at the moment when my counterpart prefers to remain ignorant, shows no signs of understanding, growth or interest, refuses to admit the truth, contributing, denying, and mitigating the pain and suffering of others.

I distance myself just as I distance myself from racist, homophobic, and sexist people who are not willing to learn and admit that their screwed up worldviews remain an active part of the problem by discriminating against others to practice superiority.

DISTANCE TO CREATE PROXIMITY

It also happens that I emotionally and physically have to distance myself to practice more self-care and sanity to regain power and hope for a better and vegan world.

That doesn't mean that I don't do activism at all, it's actually the opposite. I take every opportunity to talk to others (mostly strangers or fugitive acquaintances), and challenge them with simple questions to question their belief system and encourage them to reflect on their own actions. I talk to people I am less or not at all emotionally involved with, and they seem more receptive, respectful and able to take criticism to heart.

I want them to see and understand that consuming, using, abusing, exploiting, and murdering non-human animals is wrong. It took me far too long to realize that. It took me many moments of shame and embarrassment towards myself and moments of discomfort to realize that ...

... and I hope You can learn through me and realize it too.

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Please note:

* when the term "human" is used, then human animals are meant by it, and the same applies to the term "animal", who are non-human animals.

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