Cirion Spellbinder wrote:PsYcHo wrote: Other times, knowing my argument will probably not sway the other person immediately, I still engage because perhaps it will make them think, or perhaps it will make ME think.
What qualities / variables indicate to you that the person will consider what you / I say?
From my own experiences, years of dealing with people. (I spent a decade in a supervisory position, and still maintain a smaller "boss" position today)
{And just a quick response to your other post about people getting sick from vegetables, my partner's brother eats a very small variety of foods. I believe he may have Aspergers, because he is extremely intelligent, yet any change, dietary or otherwise, causes him severe distress. Even a dish as simple as mashed potatoes must be bland. No butter, no salt, no gravy, no skins. If it were not for his like of tomato juice, I believe he would have scurvy. I have yet in 11 years seen him eat anything green, other than pickles, which he consumes by the gallon jar in a day or two.}
Onto what qualities indicate a person will consider what I say, mainly context clues. Start small. Simply saying " I choose not to eat meat" will elicit a response. Maintain a neutral position until it seems like the person is genuinely interested. A lot of carnist have a negative attitude towards vegans, so the cards are already stacked against you. If they respond with anger, " Vegans are stupid 'cause....." disarm them by replying with "I understand why people eat/use animals, I just saw a video about animal slaughter that was really gross. A chicken with an abscess bigger than its body made me not want to eat meat." This allows you to maintain your position, without attacking theirs.
I have my own "controversial" lifestyle choices that make people judge me before they know me, and as a Vegan I'm sure you get similar levels of "shit" thrown at you. Pick your battles. This will take trial and error. If you err, admit it. If you are just but the neanderthal you are debating with chooses to "low blow", disengage. Not all battles can be won.
From reading your posts I visualized you as someone my age (pushing 40), so you are assuredly an intelligent person. Do not let the ignorance of others bring you down. Speak your mind, but be humble. Anger never wins in a debate. If you are met with ignorance or anger, re-evaluate.
You are too smart to not want to educate others. To quote a christian axiom "Pride goeth before a fall" . As long as you are not prideful (pompous) then you will gain support for your cause. (Patience)