The juxtaposition of activism against personal responsibility: Should the desire to inform and seek change create an onus of responsibility and mental weight, and is such a feeling of responsibility avoidable?
There are several reasons why activism imposes on the activist a feeling of responsibility and, at times, also effects a negative mental impact. This essay will examine the effect of “unpopular” activism on the mental and emotional states of a person, giving examples for types of activism which may fall under this category. Certainly, the reality - of quite often being the only one amongst friends who advocates for particular topics, and any topics less than those trending - can be very burdensome.
The onus arises in exactly such situations where, the truth being unpopular or unbelievable, is instead easily discredited or disregarded. This can create an internal unrest where there is a feeling of responsibility to “speak for the voiceless”, whilst knowing that such discussions usually result in a lack of interest. Many times, such discussions also result in alienation and marginalization as people may consider such subjects very difficult to understand, believe, or get informed about.
But what exactly would such topics be? Really, it could be any topic you discuss to those around you, who simply don’t believe or agree – any situation as this will leave you feeling ostracized. However, the internal struggle and the onus of responsibility truly arises when discussing topics that are not trending. Topics that are unpopular: not often spoken about.
For example – while you may struggle and feel ostracized to discuss “black lives matter” to friends and family who may not understand, ultimately, you still feel support and a sense of rightness because almost everyone else in the world is talking about it. When you step away from the conversation, you may still know and feel that you are right. Almost everyone else is in support of it; almost everyone else is aware of it, and advocating for it.
As such, it is hardly possible to feel alienated, alone, or internally conflicted when discussing such trending topics. For better or worse, that has become a “trending” and “trendy” subject to have an opinion on. Most people have a link, a sentence, a highlight reel, or something unconcealed, demonstrating where they stand on the matter and that they have (most often through fulfilment guilt) engaged with it.
Such topics are widely accepted and easy to believe. There is no alienation and marginalization when touting “black lives matter”. Indeed, with “left wing” media dominating reality, any deviation other than full support of such a topic has created the ill-conceived notion of inherent racism lying within the individual refusing to stake their ground on the “right” side of history. Though this is a large topic and one for another time, the point is thus: the feeling of responsibility to speak up in this situation arises from societal pressures, fear of not fitting in, fear of not thinking like everyone else, fear of being wrong, and fear of being shamed, insulted, or labeled racist.
As such, the responsibility does not uniformly – for this is the key word - come from an innate feeling of witnessing wrongness and knowing that, at all costs, you must speak your mind. It is obvious that such immense engagement was a trend, because what is now trending is the fact that the topic is no longer trending. Where indeed, does that leave humanity?
Oppression is now a fun game to engage in for ego purposes. Outrage is a trendy color to wear.
Oppression is no longer a catalyst to truly realize change within your personal life; to no longer engage in different behaviors that would help realistically create a difference. No – it is enough to tout a banner. It is enough to shout the loudest. It is enough to demolish statues. It is enough to be angry. It is enough to change your profile picture into that of a black fist. It is enough to create a highlight reel. It is enough to "post a link on your bio". It is enough to constantly re-share posts. It is enough to sign a petition. It is enough to attend one march. It is enough to post a black square.
When we finally move away from trends and what is trending, perhaps ridiculous behaviors such as these, will be perceived for what they are: absolutely useless actions when trying to effect palpable, long lasting, and real change.
When humanity finally moves away from trends, I believe they may yet stand a chance to make logical and individual reasonings. As it is, however, most are contented and conformed with speaking out about the right type of oppression. Completely manipulated by those around them, and the world around them, they engage only when they are told it is appropriate. They engage only in what they believe needs rectifying – because they have been told to do so - and for many - because they only now realised that this problem even exists and needs rectifying.
They engage only in the “acceptable-to-be-outraged-about” types of oppression. The types of topics you could bring up in any workplace, amongst any group of friends, and get a vehement solemn agreement from those around you that, such things are, “so wrong”.
The reality, however, is that not all topics of oppression are acceptable, liked, encouraged, spoken about, covered, popular, or shared by society and the masses. As such, a plethora of hugely important activist work is swept to the side – precisely, and hypocritically, by every one of those parading the loudest for the methods of oppression that they have been coerced to believe are the only ones that exist and matter most.
The reality, however, is that for those who engage in activism against oppression of all forms, and who engage in such work routinely, end up being largely (and most times, unapologetically) marginalized.
Topics such as animal activism, feminist activism on behalf of animals, child trafficking, sex trafficking, censorship, immigration, prisons, the prison system and prisoners, sentencing, the judicial system - none of these are trending or popular topics. People do not have highlight reels, profile pictures, links and clear representations that these issues exist and that they are actively and clearly against them.
There are no profile photos indicating the struggle of wrongly incarcerated people. There is no trending logo to identify and advocate for the myriad of oppressions affecting millions worldwide. I guess they are simply not cool enough to ever develop that type of momentum and support.
This clearly exemplifies the point. Most people have no activism on display, and if they do, it is only lately - and only as a result of its popularity – “black lives matter”.
Where, indeed, does humanity truly stand on oppression? Are they perhaps only slightly upset by it when it concerns a topic they have some general interest in? But nothing further? I would but marvel at selective oppression if only I had known it existed.
You could argue, well, there is a community for vegans – there are a lot of vegans! It isn't alienating to identify with that and advocate for animal rights. Nothing could be further from the truth; it is extraordinarily alienating to discus animal rights, and as such, this is one of the previously listed "non-trending" topics of activism that will be explored, to demonstrate the onus it places on the activist.
While there is a vegan movement, yes, it is constantly ridiculed, shamed and made to look “extreme” by the media and society. It is not an accepted reality. Vegans are routinely called extremists – this is why so many memes of that depiction exist. Though veganism may have a large circle of popularity, outside of this (in actuality, rather small) circle, most advocates for animal rights usually find themselves alone.
Personally, out of everyone I know, only two other people are vegan. So, already, one of my personal topics of discussion against oppression are – quite plainly, and unquestionably – hugely unpopular.
But it is not for myself that I engage in them – it is not for ourselves that we decided to change the way we approach life and eating. It is not for personal benefit or ego that I feel compelled to discuss information about health, corporations, prisons, immigration, child trafficking, or animal rights. It is much easier never to challenge your personal beliefs – as is clearly evidenced by the ratio of people I know who are plant-based and those who are not. None have bothered to challenge their personal beliefs and make an effort to change their lives, health, and the oppression of other sentient beings: This is not a statement of opinion, but a fact. If more had, then many more would no longer be eating animals.
Therefore, herein lies the internal struggle.You are compelled to share information, but you are simultaneously reluctant.
You are compelled to share the information for multiple reasons; two of them are: You know it to be true, and second, (likely as a result of this first, powerful reason) you innately feel that you simply must speak about this. Innately – not through guilt, not through trends, not through popularity, but rather uncompromisable innate urgency.
You feel the need to be vocal, though you know the ridicule, preconceived notions, and lack of attention and care, people will have about what you will say.
Though you know friends and family will ridicule you; will question you; will argue with you, without having done any of their own research; will disbelieve you – will even unfriend and unfollow you. You know these will be inescapable outcomes but you do not keep quiet.
This, quite clearly, is an extraordinarily lonely – and considerably damaging mentally - place to be. You have an urgent need to share truth and stop oppression, but you know there will be ridicule, and no engagement. You know that for years, no one has minded. Every other day someone shares a photo of a pork chop.
The internal struggle is there every day. Non-trending activism places a very, very large onus of responsibility on the activist, and can result in considerably negative mental effects. These feelings and negative consequences are amplified when discussing topics with close friends and family.
Marginalization, arguments, disbelief, mockery, feeling excluded, ignored, and alone – yet feeling the responsibility to speak out regardless of all this, because – if you don’t, are you not a fraud?
If you don’t, are you not perpetuating silence on these topics?
Most everyone else is already silent – if you and others like you were also silent, then who would be speaking up?
If you know, should you not continue to advocate? Even though it is clear that most people do not really care?
Unfailingly, however, the same point is always reached: These non-trending and unpopular topics become pointless to discuss. How often can the same subject be brought up? Every day, you gain new knowledge; those you are trying to inform likely haven't done any research. If they had, we wouldn't be in this position, and there would be no convincing to accomplish. Do you keep trying to inform, when universally, everyone always decides to argue if the topic is brought up?
Do you have a responsibility to inform? When you know that, in the case of "veganism" / animal rights, people's choices are negatively affecting their health? Horrendously affecting the livelihood of - it is shocking to believe but - billions of animals, every day?
It is very, very difficult to keep quiet on topics where the subject is not a matter of beliefs or perception, but rather truth. This is not a matter of choice, because the choice to eat animals is not lacking in effects; its negative effects are many: It impacts your personal health, taking years of life away and giving you diseases that are completely preventable; it impacts the world, it impacts the lives of other animals, and it impacts the lives of other humans.
While other non-trending and unpopular topics also negatively effect a multitude of things, and indeed have an an even smaller circle of activists, veganism is the best example for the alienation that is caused. Why?
It is a way of life that would help, and affect, everything around us. Resolving this worldwide problem would help resolve many problems at once: the influence and control of big Pharma; hunger - worldwide; the influence and control of huge corporations; mass manipulation through "dietary" "choices"; the extinction of wildlife and species; destruction of the Amazon and other forests; the incredible toll created on the health system due to completely preventable (and some even reversible), diseases, including many of the leading cancers such as bowel and prostrate, and the leading killers: heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and even Alzheimer's; the proliferation of damage caused to billions of feeling, hearing, thinking, and talking animals around the world, every day; and the list continues.
It is such a simple choice, that has such long-lasting, and far-reaching consequences. And yet, you are labeled an extremist; you are questioned at work, light passing jokes are made about your food; you are told you are wrong; that God says something different; that humans are top of the "food chain"; that "our ancestors" did this; in fact, the reasons people come up with are universally exactly the same, and an activist has made a series of videos tackling each one. You are told all these things, by people who question your judgement and choices without bothering to first listen to your reasoning, facts, information, logic, and research.
Yes, veganism, like some other unpopular non-trending topics, carries a very heavy onus of responsibility and very real feelings of exasperation. Therefore, there are times where it may be easier on our mental and emotional health to cease discussing these topics altogether. Though the responsibility will weigh on you heavily throughout the day, every day, it is sometimes imperative and necessary to shift your focus.
The solution to balancing the onus of responsibility against the reluctance to keep trying to inform others, probably lies in acceptance. The responsibility will always be felt, but it can be mediated. For animal rights, maybe hold on to moments where a loved one said they enjoyed trying the plant-based option and would have it again. It isn't much, but it has certainly evolved from them calling you "crazy and extreme".
Shift the focus instead on everything you have done thus far, and what you personally do every day to ensure you do not contribute to oppression. And of course, possibly most important of all, focus activism off of social media and into personal real-world contact where possible. This can be doing volunteer work or active work for death row inmates, if there is an interest in the judicial system for example. Or it can be having conversations with people in real life, whom you think you can inform.
However, there are no hard and fast rules for dealing with the internal struggle. Non-trending activism*, for the examples and reasons listed above, creates a very difficult and constant internal challenge.
It places a very heavy weight on personal responsibility to share information and continue to be vocal, even when feeling alone, rejected, marginalized, or mocked.
This is why a shift in focus is one of the best ways to mediate the feeling, as managing it will be the most accessible and realistic goal. And perhaps, also to take a little comfort in knowing that some others also feel the same.
* I have expounded on veganism as merely one example, but specifically because people will argue that there is a “large” vegan movement. As such, “how could you possibly feel alienated or alone?” I’m positive that this incorrect perception has now been more than clarified.
