Hi again EquALLity, so I was browsing through some old forum conversations and I stumbled upon this one. I'd guess that either I never saw this last post of yours, or I did at the time you posted, but forgot to reply. So I never actually did confront her on this issue, and to this day I'm unsure if that inaction of mine was a wise choice or a missed opportunity. I'm guessing that it was more likely the former, so I don't really regret it. I don't like bashing my head against the wall with defensive carnists.
Recently I've had some level-headed conversations about veganism with people whom I interact with regularly, because they themselves expressed interest, and I think it went well. That's what I try to do now, find people who show genuine interest, and explain my reasons as best as I can. Unfortunately, most don't actually indicate later on that they have any intention of going vegan, or even making partial progress, so I don't know how effective I am at promoting veganism simply by talking about it. I hope I'm having some positive influence on others.
No matter how much I can help animals, by influencing people, I don't think I'll ever get any real satisfaction out of it. No matter how much good I do for animals, it will just be a drop in the bucket.
It's depressing that some people who seemingly care about animals, will so easily abandon any moral consideration for them when it's inconvenient. Why are some people so eager to date others who don't even share their values? Is being in a relationship with someone who's "attractive" (on a superficial level) really that fulfilling?brimstoneSalad wrote: ↑Tue May 05, 2015 4:03 pmIt seems like she was hitting on you, and that didn't pan out, and she found a rabidly anti-vegan carnist to date (or one she likes), and subsequently changed her "opinions" on everything to match his.
I really hope to find a lady some day soon, whom I can admire, and find attractive. Not just "good-looking" and "cool", but one who also shares the same moral values. Someone who shares my passion for promoting environmentalism, and kindness towards animals. Someone who speaks up firm and strong for the animals, knows what matters to her, and doesn't take a gram of $#!& from anyone who would try to tear her down. That is what I find attractive. That's the kind of lady I'd hope to be in a relationship with. Being with someone like that who supports the efforts that matter to me, challenging me and inspiring me to become a better man, is what I'd want.
Anyways, I'll have to keep my eyes open for intelligent & compassionate vegan women. Unfortunately they're kind of difficult to find*, although I haven't been looking as hard as I could. Maybe I shouldn't think about this so much, at least not during the coming 1 & 1/2 years (because I'm studying, working towards a M.S. degree in Geology, and that should really be the most important thing in my life right now).
*So during my first year now, as a graduate student at a new university, I've met 5 vegetarian students within the fields of Earth Sciences. One of whom is vegan. Unfortunately, all of them are dudes! Some real bad luck, that. Where is that 4:1 ratio that I keep hearing about!?
Basically, by talking to people, you ARE still making a difference. And yeah, pretty much everything we do feels irrelevant given how big problems are and how we're only individuals. But, with the right approach, it can be a butterfly effect. I'm vegan. My friend went vegan. My other friend went vegan. Then, my friend who went vegan convinced other people to be vegetarian. And on and on it goes!