deepen
For some folks, the beginning of the animal liberation journey is emotionally turbulent. One day they’re enjoying their family barbecue thinking, “This is the best burger I’ve ever had” and the next, they’re shouting, “OH MY GOD, what have we been doing to these beautiful animals?!”. They’re learning about all of the cruel practices that have been happening right under their nose and realize they’ve been unconsciously complicit in them all along. They’re shocked and they’re overwhelmed by a sense of urgency to just do something.
For other folks, the beginning of the animal liberation journey is more like a whisper in their ear or a prickle on the back of their neck that just won’t go away. They see the distressing images of animals being exploited, but instead of feeling a sense of urgency to do something, they feel incapacitated by the negative bodily state that information and urgency puts them in. They feel like nothing could ever be fast enough or big enough to change this. And this is why imagining a world without animal exploitation seems impossible. They think, “How could I possibly ever make a difference?”.
No matter where we might fall on this spectrum, the mindset is actually quite similar - animal exploitation is an urgent problem that requires quick fixes and/or extraordinary measures. There is no doubt that animal exploitation is an urgent problem, but oftentimes when we approach it this way, we forget to address the roots of the problem we’re trying to fix. The wonderful truth is, change is happening right now - all the time. “We are constantly adapting, creating, filling, emptying as we become the dream” (adrienne maree brown, Emergent Strategy). And though it may not seem fast enough, big enough or even glamorous enough (change can be really messy!), it’s the deep, slow, intentional work of personal growth that impacts, changes, and uproots the whole system.
Here are some thoughts you might be having and questions you might be asking:
I’ve got to do something. What can I do to help?
I have no idea what I’m doing. What’s “speciesism”?
What do I tell my kids? Is it safe to talk about animal exploitation with them?
How can I safely support, nurture, and guide my children and myself through this?
I want to create a kinder future where all beings are loved, valued, and free, but just don’t know where to begin.
So many big thoughts to be navigating through. Let’s start gently by deepening our understanding of animals and our relationship with them. Here are some resources to help you get started:
