Motivational Methods for Vegan Advocacy: A Clinical Psychology Perspective by Casey T. Taft

Author:Casey T. Taft [Taft, Casey T.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Vegan Publishers
Published: 2016-02-16T03:00:00+00:00

Pre-Contemplation Stage Tips

If changing is not even on a person’s radar (pre-contemplation), consciousness-raising messages have been shown to help people recognize the ethical consequences of their current path. If they’re content consuming animal products, simply leading by example and telling them about the wonders of vegan food will have little or no impact.

The pre-contemplation stage is where you will find many of the common justifications for using animals:

• What about plants? Plants have feelings too!

• We have been eating animals since the beginning of time. It is responsible for our brain growth and we have developed canines to eat animals.

• The bible says that we should eat animals.

• Animals eat other animals. Would you ask a lion to go vegan?

• We are part of the food chain. It’s the way it is. Things must die for us to live.

• If we didn’t breed cows to eat, they would not exist, so isn’t it better they have a chance to live?

• I always give thanks when I eat meat and we try to use the whole animal.

• There are essential vitamins in meat that we can’t get from just eating vegetables.

• They are just animals. What’s the difference if we eat them? They don’t care whether they live or die anyways.

• If the world went vegan, animals would overrun the planet.

• Vegans are hypocrites. I know a vegan who wears leather and feeds his cats other animals.

• Not everyone can be vegan. What about the Inuit?

There are many, many more of these justifications you will have heard if you are a long-time vegan. Other sources provide a more complete list with possible responses you could offer when you encounter them.4, 5

When encountering justifications for using animals such as these, it’s important not to get sucked into an argument. It’s always best to maintain your composure and provide factual and ethical responses. If it becomes clear that the other person really has no interest in learning more about veganism, but rather wants to continue to justify animal abuse or prove you wrong, it’s usually best to let them know that there’s really no point in discussing further and you’re always happy to discuss these issues at another time. What sometimes happens in discussions with those in the pre-contemplation stage is that because they’re not ready to hear a vegan message, they may attempt to bait you into an argument, and then when you lose your composure, they will accuse you of being just another “crazy vegan.” So don’t take the bait; instead just focus on demonstrating that these are topics you’ve researched and thought a lot about.

The more you come across like someone who has a command of this information, the more expert you will appear, and the more likely the other person will listen to what you have to say. The same is true in clinical psychology more broadly; it’s critically important that our clients believe that we know what we’re talking about and we have the knowledge and ability to help them achieve their desired end goals.

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