A Meaningful Life: animal advocacy, human nature, and a better world, from Vegan Outreach

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Wed, 25 Feb 2004 18:39:21 -0500

Vegan Outreach e-Newsletter <veganoutreach

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Vegan Outreach e-Newsletter <veganoutreach

http://www.veganoutreach.org/

 

A Meaningful Life

Animal Advocacy, Human Nature, & A Better World

 

v1.0, Feb. 25, 2004, Matt Ball, veganoutreach.org/meaningfullife.html

 

All advocates are faced with two main challenges.

The first, and arguably more important of the

two, is how to open people's hearts and minds, so

that they may deliberately and conscientiously

consider new ideas.

 

Preface

 

Effective advocates -- those who are truly

successful in fostering change -- are thoughtful

psychologists. They understand that each of us is

born with a certain intrinsic nature. We are then

raised to adopt certain beliefs, and taught to

hold specific prejudices. Over time, we discover

new " truths " and abandon others; we mix and

match, supplement and refine, continually

altering our collection of attitudes, principles,

and values.

 

Even though we can recognize that our belief

system changes over time, at any given point most

of us are likely to believe that our current set

of positions and opinions are " right " -- that our

convictions are well founded, our actions

justified, and that we are each, at heart, a good

person. Even when, years later, we find ourselves

reflecting on previously held beliefs with a

sense of bemusement, it does not occur to us that

we may someday feel the same way toward the

attitudes we now hold.

 

Similarly, we understand that we don't change

anyone else's mind. No matter how elegant an

argument is, ultimately, real and lasting change

comes only from opening people's hearts and

minds, allowing them the freedom to explore new

ideas and new ways of viewing the world. Of

course, we all know there is no magic way of

doing this, no secret hypnotic trick. The

simplest way to encourage other people to open

their hearts and minds is for our own hearts and

minds to be open -- and not just for the sake of

advocacy or argument. Rather, we must be truly

open, able to sincerely consider anything and

everything that is said during interactions with

others. I believe an open heart and mind is the

only honest position any serious advocate can

take, because obviously no one person has all the

answers. So in the interest of moving forward,

let me suggest we set aside everything we believe

we " know, " and start with the core of our concern.

 

After many years of struggling to distill my

advocacy to its purest form, I have come to

believe that virtually all of our actions can be

traced to a desire for fulfillment or happiness

and a need to avoid or alleviate suffering. That

is to say, something is " good " if it leads to

more happiness, and something is " bad " if it

leads to more suffering. This is a simplistic

view, of course, but does cut through confusion,

leaving us with a single measure by which to

judge the consequences of our actions and

evaluate our advocacy.

 

Given that pain -- be it physical, emotional, or

psychological -- is generally the single greatest

barrier to contentment, I believe suffering must

be our first priority, especially since there is

so very much suffering in the world. In essence,

then, my advocacy philosophy can be best

described as a desire to decrease the amount of

suffering in the world.

 

 

Principles of Advocacy

 

If you are reading this, I would guess that you

are concerned about more than just the pursuit of

your own happiness. The question then is: How can

we make a difference in a world where suffering

is so widespread?

 

In addition to starting with open hearts and

minds, a basic understanding of human nature

shows that people have an affinity for the known

and the immediate. This is true not only of the

population as a whole, but for advocates as well.

In general, most people working for a better

world concentrate on those closest to them,

geographically and/or biologically. Even those

who look beyond species focus on either the

familiar or the fantastic, with a

disproportionate amount of resources and effort

spent on cats and dogs, endangered species, or

individual animals in high-profile situations.

 

This is understandable, given our basic human

desire to have a visible impact on the world. We

all want to feel like we are accomplishing

something, that we've been victorious. It often

doesn't matter how significant the accomplishment

or victory is -- or even if the world is truly

better off -- but rather that something tangible

has been achieved. It is because of this need for

visible results that some people say that they

are unable or unwilling to support Vegan

Outreach, because what we do is too slow or

abstract, that there is no way to see the animals

saved.

 

This understanding of human nature, along with a

recognition of the primacy of suffering, led

Vegan Outreach to formulate two guiding

principles for advocacy:

 

1. We should, as much as possible, strive to set

aside our personal biases and needs. Vegan

Outreach's approach to advocacy tries to orient

itself through a straightforward analysis of the

world as it is, motivated solely by the suffering

of others.

 

2. When we choose to do one thing, we are

choosing not to do others. The people who make up

Vegan Outreach have extremely limited resources

and time. So instead of choosing to " do

something, do anything, " we pursue actions that

we believe will lead to the greatest reduction in

suffering. Once again, this may sound simplistic,

but given the endless demands on advocates, we

believe it is an important principle to follow.

 

 

Why Vegan?

 

Based on these two principles, we choose to

promote veganism to have the maximum impact on

the amount of suffering in the world. Let me

repeat -- our emphasis on veganism is derived

from our principles of advocacy, not vice versa.

Veganism does not have any value in and of

itself. Rather, promoting veganism offers the

most efficient way of decreasing overall

suffering, for three basic reasons:

 

1. The Numbers.

The number of animals raised and killed for food

each year in the U.S. alone vastly exceeds any

other form of exploitation, involving numbers far

greater than the total human population of the

entire world. Ninty-nine out of every 100 animals

killed in the U.S. each year are slaughtered for

human consumption.

 

2. The Suffering.

Of course, if these billions of animals lived

happy, healthy lives and had quick and painless

deaths, then our concern for suffering would lead

elsewhere. But animals raised for food must

endure unfathomable suffering.

 

Most advocacy tends to revolve around detailed

stories of individuals, and the story of any

individual chicken, pig, or veal calf clearly

rivals any other case of cruelty. Indeed, perhaps

the most difficult aspect of advocating on behalf

of these animals is trying to describe the

indescribable: the overcrowding and confinement,

the stench, the racket, the extremes of heat and

cold, the attacks and even cannibalism, the

hunger and starvation, the illnessŠthe

near-constant horror of every day of their life.

Indeed, every year, hundreds of millions of

animals -- many times more than the total number

killed for fur, in shelters, and in laboratories

-- don't even make it to slaughter. They actually

suffer to death.

 

3. The Opportunity.

If there were nothing we could do about these

animals' suffering -- if it all happened in a

distant land beyond our influence -- then, again,

our focus would be different. But vegan advocacy

is the most readily accessible option for making

a better world! We don't have to overthrow a

foreign government. We don't have to forsake

modern life. We don't have to win an election or

convince Congress of the validity of our argument.

 

Rather, every day, every single person makes

decisions that affect the lives of these farmed

animals. Helping people change leads to fewer

animals suffering in factory farms. Many major

national campaigns spend huge amounts of time and

money for far less payoff. By choosing to promote

veganism, every person we meet is a potential

victory.

 

 

Promoting Veganism

 

The rationale outlined above seems logical, but

we didn't arrive at these conclusions overnight.

Before we founded Vegan Outreach, Jack Norris and

I pursued various other forms of animal advocacy

-- from letter writing campaigns to scores of

protests and everything in between, including

civil disobedience.

 

Even within the realm of promoting veganism,

there are many different opinions and options.

For example, the Christian Vegetarian Association

works within the context of the most commonly

practiced religion in the U.S. Their booklet,

Honoring God's Creation, (formerly, What Would

Jesus EatŠToday?) reaches out to people through

their existing ethical framework. This approach

allows the CVA to advocate -- quite successfully

-- to a vast audience for whom other approaches

would be less effective.

 

Other advocacy organizations focus on harnessing

the power of video footage. Some groups take out

free spots on public access stations, and

sometimes can afford to purchase commercial time.

Different groups take the video footage right to

the public via " FaunaVision vans " (equipped with

large T.V.s, portable power units, and speakers)

and " Faunettes " (smaller portable units that can

be wheeled on sidewalks). These act like magnets,

attracting people who may otherwise ignore

someone leafleting.

 

 

Maximum Change

 

At Vegan Outreach, we work for maximum change,

seeking to achieve the greatest reduction in

suffering per dollar donated and hour worked. We

believe the way to accomplish this is to present

the optimal message to our target audience. This

leads to two basic questions: Who is our

audience, and what is the message that will

elicit the greatest change?

 

Of course, with infinite resources, we could

reach out to everyone. Given our very limited

resources, though, the goal of maximum change

leads Vegan Outreach to focus on high school and

college students, for three main reasons:

 

1. The relative willingness and ability to change.

Of course, not every student is willing or able

to stop eating meat. But relative to the

population as a whole, college and high school

students tend to be more open-minded -- even

rebellious against the status quo -- and in a

position where they aren't as restricted by

parents, tradition, habits, etc.

 

2. The full impact of change.

Even if it were equally likely that we could

convince teenagers or senior citizens, over the

course of their lives, not only would the

teenagers be saving more animals, but they would

have more opportunities to influence others.

 

3. The ability to reach large numbers.

High school and college students are typically

easier to reach in large numbers. For a

relatively small investment of time, an activist

can hand a copy of Why Vegan? to hundreds of

students who otherwise might never have viewed a

full and compelling case for compassion.

 

Our message for this audience is the suffering on

factory farms and in industrial slaughterhouses.

We have found that this simple and

straightforward message has many benefits,

including:

 

1. Honesty.

In general, people can sense insincerity. They

don't respect the tactic of bait and switch, and

few people believe that veg advocates are truly

concerned about everyone else's health.

 

Every new vegetarian, though, goes through the

phase of, " Even though I care about animals,

other people won't. People are selfish -- I'll

appeal to their self-interest! " But look around

-- is the health argument working? For years

we've known that being obese is the single

greatest threat to good health; yet every year,

more and more people in the U.S. become more and

more overweight! Is this really the message with

the best chance to create the real change that

will save animals?

 

2. Impact.

Many animal advocates buy the " trickle up " theory

of change: " If they oppose wearing fur coats,

they might eventually stop eating meat! " Does

anyone really believe that an hour spent holding

a sign outside a furrier does more to help

animals than spending that hour handing out

copies of Why Vegan? Even if a person doesn't

become vegetarian right after reading Why Vegan?,

they are far more likely to be sympathetic to

other cases of animal abuse than they would be

after seeing another anti-fur poster -- the

" trickle down " approach to animal liberation!

 

3. Motivation.

We don't want to get people to just consider

veganism. We want them to change and maintain

that change. If someone tries veganism to improve

their health, the next time they hear someone

praise the Atkins diet, that same person might

switch and end up eating even more animals than

before! So we should try to get them to consider

veganism for reasons that are more sustainable.

 

I'm not fooling myself -- I know that exposing

what goes on in factory farms and slaughterhouses

isn't going to appeal to everyone. But feel-good

arguments that avoid the horrors of meat

production are not compelling enough. We don't

want people to nod in agreement and continue on

as before. It is far better if 95% of people turn

away revolted and 5% open their minds to change,

than if everyone smiles politely and continues on

to McDonald's.

 

Let me repeat: Trying to appeal to everyone

hasn't worked, and it won't work. It is well past

time to give up the fantasy that there is some

perfect self-centered argument that will

magically compel everyone to change.

 

Conversely, showing people what goes on behind

the walls of factory farms and slaughterhouses

does work! We have found cruelty to animals to be

the most compelling reason to go vegan -- and

stay vegan -- in the face of peer pressure,

tradition, the latest diet, etc. In his two years

of leafleting colleges around the country, Jack

found a tremendous willingness among students to

take and consider information about veganism.

Other activists have found the same. We

constantly receive feedback to the effect of: " I

had no idea what went on! Thank you so much for

opening my eyes! "

 

And yet, there are many, many more willing people

to reach. Obviously friends and family, but we

can't spend all our time and emotional resources

on the immediate. The simplest way to get

information to interested people is to stock

displays in your area: libraries, music and

bookstores, co-ops and natural food stores,

coffeehouses, and sympathetic restaurants.

 

Youth, though, is where the animals get the

biggest bang for the buck. Vegan Outreach has two

programs to methodically reach out to the prime

audience. The first (a joint program with

Viva!USA) is our semi-annual National Leafleting

Day. The second is the

<http://www.veganhealth.org/colleges/>Adopt a

College program, where activists agree to leaflet

at local campuses at least once a semester. These

are the first systematic plans for bringing about

animal liberation by targeting our most receptive

audience.

 

The animals can't afford our continued,

reactionary, try-everything-and-anything

campaigns. We know what works. We just need the

dedication to do it! You can join up at our web

site -- veganoutreach.org.

 

 

Pitfalls

 

Anyone who has been veg for more than a few

minutes knows the many roadblocks -- habit,

tradition, convenience, taste, familiarity, peer

pressure, etc. -- that keep people from opening

their hearts and minds to consider the animals'

plight. Our message must overcome all of these!

 

When it comes to advocating for the animals,

people are looking for a reason to ignore us --

no one sits around thinking, " Wow, I really want

to give up all my favorite foods and isolate

myself from my friends and family! " Knowing this,

we can't give anyone any reasons to ignore the

terrible and unnecessary suffering on factory

farms and in slaughterhouses.

 

If we want to be as effective as we possibly can

be for the animals, it is absolutely essential

that we recognize and avoid common traps.

Remember: Our message is simple. Don't distract

people from it by trying to present every piece

of information you've ever heard that sounds

vaguely pro-veg. Don't try to answer every

tangential argument tossed at you -- advocacy

isn't about how much you know. Don't let the

discussion degrade into an argument over

sterility and impotence, third-world starvation,

Jesus' loaves and fishes, impending dustbowls,

abortion, chickens being smarter than human

toddlers, the President, bone char, or Grandpa's

cholesterol level. Whatever is said back to you

cannot counter the fact that eating animals

causes unnecessary suffering. Period.

 

Similarly, don't build your case from sources

that can be the subject of debate. Factory farms

and slaughterhouses are hidden from view, and the

industry's P.R. machine denies standard animal

agriculture practices ( " Animals are treated well,

slaughterhouses are well regulated " ). The public

won't believe otherwise just because we say so.

There is no need to cite " biased " sources; the

cruelties of factory farms and industrial

slaughterhouses are well documented by

nonpartisan third-party sources and the industry

itself. Just as our case is perfectly strong

without the most extreme claims, it is also

complete when based on sources most people will

regard as indisputable.

 

Always stay focused on the animals, not veganism.

Veganism is not an end in itself. It is not a

dogma or religion, a list of forbidden

ingredients or immutable laws. Veganism is only a

tool for opposing cruelty and reducing suffering.

 

Remember:

 

* We don't want to attack anything or anyone.

* We don't want to express our rage at how animals are raised and killed.

* We don't want to show how smart and enlightened we are.

* We don't want to " Win an argument with a meat eater. "

* We don't want to gross out someone so they don't eat meat at their next meal.

 

We want people to open their hearts and minds to change. It all simplifies to:

 

Buying meat, eggs, and dairy causes unnecessary suffering.

We can each choose not to cause this suffering.

 

 

Staying a Healthy Vegan

 

For many, maintaining a change in diet is a far

more significant undertaking than most advocates

admit -- or even realize. In his two years of

leafleting around the country, Jack was often

told, " I was veg for a while, but I didn't feel

healthy.Š " He heard this so frequently that he

sometimes felt he met more failed vegetarians

than current vegetarians!

 

Contrast this with the messages many activists

like to present, such as, " Meat is a deadly

poison! " Just consider a meat-eater hearing a

friend's story of feeling unhealthy on a

vegetarian diet, and then being faced with the

nearly desperate-sounding activist chant of " Meat

causes heart disease! Colon cancer! Breast

cancer! Diabetes! "

 

As we know, even a moderate health argument

doesn't have significant sway in most people's

lives -- especially youth. But the health

argument is not only an inefficient use of our

limited resources: when we regurgitate

extremist-sounding, black-and-white propaganda,

we hurt animals. Everyone who tries a veg diet

because of its " magical properties " will quit if

they don't immediately lose weight and increase

their energy. They will then tell everyone how

awful they felt as a vegetarian, and how much

better they feel now as a meat eater. Just one

failed vegetarian can counter the efforts of many

well-spoken advocates.

 

It is well past time that we accompany an ethical

case for veganism with an honest and thorough

plan for staying healthy. The nutritional case

historically presented by advocates is so bad --

and has led to so many failed vegetarians -- that

after two years of leafleting, Jack decided to go

back to school to become a registered dietitian,

so he could honestly evaluate nutrition research.

 

If we want to do our best to prevent suffering,

we must learn, and then present, an honest,

unbiased evaluation of the nutritional aspects of

a vegan diet, including uncertainties and

possible shortcomings. Doing so not only leads

people to trust that we are not just partisan

propagandists, but also creates healthy

spokespeople for the animals!

 

 

Countering the Stereotype

 

Perhaps the biggest problem for vegan advocates

is society's stereotype of vegans. No longer does

" vegan " need to be explained when referenced on

T.V. or in movies, but unfortunately, the word is

often used as shorthand for someone young, angry,

deprived, fanatical, and isolated. In short,

" vegan " = " unhappy. " Just like one failed

vegetarian counters the efforts of many honest

advocates, this caricature guarantees that

veganism won't be considered -- let alone adopted

-- on a wide scale.

 

Regrettably, the " angry vegan " image is based in

reality, and fighting this stereotype just

reinforces it. Not only have I known many

fanatical vegans, I also helped perpetuate this

view. Like every error I have tried to point out

-- inefficient tactics, obsessing over

ingredients, arguing minutiae, etc. -- this is

another I've been guilty of. My self-righteous

indignation gave many people a lifetime excuse to

ignore the veg message.

 

It is not enough to be a vegan, or even a

dedicated vegan advocate. If we want to maximize

the amount of suffering we can prevent, we must

actively be the opposite of the vegan stereotype.

The animals can't wait until we get over our

despair. We must learn how to " Win Friends and

Influence People. " We must -- regardless of the

sorrow and outrage we rightly feel -- leave

everyone we meet with the impression of a joyful

person leading a fulfilling and meaningful life.

 

 

Summary & Questions

 

This isn't a particularly exciting or inspiring prescription:

 

* Focus on preventing animals from being bred for factory farms.

* Accept that, at this time, only a minority will

listen, and many others will react with disdain.

* Avoid extreme claims, absolutism, and self-righteousness.

* Accept and admit to uncertainty.

* Be a happy, respectful, and mainstream " people person. "

 

It is understandable to want something more

immediate, more rewarding. Nearly every time I

give a talk, at least one person says something

like, " We have to do it all, now! " " We have to

save them all! "

 

Of course, I can't dismiss the possibility that

there is another answer, but history is not

encouraging. Millions of people before us have

been outraged and furious with the state of the

world, yet today, there is more suffering than

ever before. Obviously, anger and dedication

aren't enough.

 

Look at this country's animal advocacy movement.

In just the past few decades, hundreds of

thousands of people have donated hundreds of

millions of dollars and worked hundreds of

millions of hours on behalf of the animals. What

is there to show for it?

 

* Most who have become active during this time have burned out and quit.

* Average per-person animal consumption is going up, not down.

* The amount of animal suffering in the U.S. has gone through the roof!

 

Still, many activists insist, " Animal liberation

by any means necessary! " " I'm willing to do

anything! "

 

If this is the case, we need to ask ourselves these questions:

 

* Are we willing to give up -- i.e., refocus -- our anger?

* Are we willing to direct our passion, rather than have it rule us?

* Are we willing to put the needs of unseen animals before our own desires?

* Are we willing to accept slow change over no change?

 

 

The Final Challenge

 

I'd be lying if I said this was easy. Often, the

logical response seems to be: Why bother? I'm

doing enough by being vegan. Changing the world

is hopeless.

 

This brings us to the second of the two

challenges mentioned at the beginning: Why care?

 

It is relatively easy to look at horrible

pictures or watch footage of vicious cruelty to

animals and be angry and motivated in the short

term. But what about a week down the road? A

month? A year -- after being rejected by

relatives, mocked by coworkers, ignored while

leafleting?

 

In many ways, remaining dedicated and motivated

is a harder challenge than opening other people's

hearts and minds.

 

Is the situation hopeless? If you look at the big

picture, I do believe that there is reason for

optimism. Indeed, anyone interested in creating a

fundamental change for the future is advised to

take the long view -- at least longer than the

next year, or even the next decade. While it is

frustrating how slow the pace of progress can

seem to us, the rate of change has been

unprecedented in the past few centuries. As Bruce

Friedrich points out:

 

Socrates, considered the father of philosophical

thought, was teaching more than twenty-five

hundred years ago. It was thousands of years

later that we saw the beginnings of our

democratic system. Not until the 19th century was

slavery abolished in the developed world. Only in

the last century was child labor ended, child

abuse criminalized, women allowed to vote, and

minorities granted wider rights.

 

When viewed in this context, it seems clear that

today we have the great and singular opportunity

to make the Economist's prediction come true:

 

Historically, man has expanded the reach of his

ethical calculations, as ignorance and want have

receded, first beyond family and tribe, later

beyond religion, race, and nation. To bring other

species more fully into the range of these

decisions may seem unthinkable to moderate

opinion now. One day, decades or centuries hence,

it may seem no more than " civilized " behavior

requires.

 

Is this enough to keep an activist going, day in

and day out, when trying to do the hard and often

abstract work of promoting veganism (especially

while not surrounded by other activists to

provide support)? We aren't robots. We each want

to be happy.

 

Yet our desire for happiness is, I believe, the answer to the final challenge.

 

Ultimately, happiness isn't to be found in

" stuff. " While the U.S. is the richest country on

earth, Americans aren't the happiest people on

earth. The phrase isn't " the pursuit of

happiness " for nothing! As biological creatures,

it is our nature to always desire more, to

constantly strive for a greater share, regardless

of what we already have. Over the millennia,

those creatures who were satisfied were erased

from the gene pool by our unfulfilled ancestors,

leaving us with a nature that pursues happiness

but isn't able to acquire it.

 

Where does this leave us? The best answer I've

found is: happiness is the result of a meaningful

life, and meaning comes not from things, but from

accomplishment.

 

I believe that meaningful accomplishment comes

from living life beyond ourselves, viewing our

existence beyond the immediate. Doing my

thoughtful best to make the world a better place

is as meaningful a life as I can imagine.

 

To paraphrase Martin Luther King, Jr.:

 

The arc of history is long

And ragged

And often unclear

But ultimately

It progresses towards justice.

 

I want to be a part of that progress.

 

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