Evolution Of A Veg*n Advocate: Vegans and Animal Suffering
Articles Reflecting a Vegan Lifestyle From All-Creatures.org

Vegan lifestyle articles that discuss ways of living in peace with humans, animals, and the environment.

FROM

Che Green, Faunalytics
October 2017

In my analogy, what veg*n advocates are grieving is their new understanding of the scope of animal suffering....For some of you, this probably sounds like a familiar story. And while I have only anecdotal evidence, I think this process is similar for many other veg*n/animal advocates. I thought it could be valuable for some advocates to explore the Kübler-Ross model (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance (“DABDA”) analogy further and look at each stage in more depth.

Photo by Jo-Anne McArthur, We Animals

The most commonly known stages of grief are outlined by the Kübler-Ross model, first developed about fifty years ago. The model describes five stages of emotional response felt by people who are either terminally ill or grieving the loss of a loved one: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance (“DABDA”). In my analogy, what veg*n advocates are grieving is their new understanding of the scope of animal suffering.

Speaking for myself, I was in denial of the scope of animal suffering prior to being veg*n. I became aware and then quite angry. I was frustrated with everyone who consumed animals and even with the advocates who had failed to stop it. I bargained with myself that I could personally make a bigger difference for animals, and more quickly than others could.

When I realized that wasn’t true, I became something like depressed; “disenchanted” might be a better word for it — with the lack of progress for animals and with my inability to stop the suffering as it continued all around me. But many years ago, I accepted that animal advocacy is a long-term social justice movement and that I’m just one small piece of the solution.

For some of you, this probably sounds like a familiar story. And while I have only anecdotal evidence, I think this process is similar for many other veg*n/animal advocates. I thought it could be valuable for some advocates to explore the DABDA analogy further and look at each stage in more depth.

Read the complete article here: Evolution Of A Veg*n Advocate.

---

Return to Articles Reflecting a Vegan Lifestyle
Read more at Animal Rights Activist Strategies