Passion and Action Beyond Belief

This blog came to me in the half hour after I awoke from a brilliant dream, as I reflected on the depression I felt that a certain part (the only part I initially remembered) of the dream was, in fact, a figment of my subconsciousness, before I gradually remembered the rest of the dream, and was somewhat shocked by its contents. The thing is, no matter what a dream is, in whatever terms, what really matters is its contents; what story it tells you; what it reveals about you that, perhaps, you didn’t know, or had forgotten, about yourself.

My dream – the summary of important parts – I saved a tiny baby goat from the slaughter (the little thing was too cute!) and then seemed to be a spectator to the rest of the sheep slaughter process (well, something about dipping the sheep in water which I didn’t quite understand, but nonetheless...). Finally, I was nearly strangled by a rope tied around a tiger as it was led by its trainer, as it seemed I was in the grounds of a circus training facility of some sort.

The point – I am a big supporter of animal welfare and ethics. Supporter; yes, but the amount I have done about it in the previous couple of years; bordering on zilch. That was not the first dream I’ve had (in recent months) about animals suffering, and I think it’s telling me something ... perhaps not, but that’s what I feel I should take from it. And a lot of the time when it comes down to it, the importance of meaning is not in the actual meaning, but the meaning the spectator makes of it. The meaning (well, one of many that I won’t go into) I am taking from this dream is – I may say I support something and am even passionate about it, but passion does not in any way translate to action if there is no, well, action, involved!

Unfortunately, when it comes to causes people support, our own wavering focus and increasing distraction due to the general chaos of life does not by any account mean other people are paying the cause any more attention, or the people or animals suffering are enduring any less pain. All it means is we, the general population, go on living our own lives increasingly able to forget or ignore.

Of course, a huge credit should go to those people who do work so tirelessly, and many voluntary, to help humans, animals and environments in need.

The question I really seek an answer to, is: How are we supposed to get a message across effectively enough to stimulate action in the wider community, when people are constantly divided over its truth? An added difficulty here lies not in the simple, supportable ‘I believe or disbelieve this theory’, but in the fact that many people will choose their side based on bias, convenience or desire, or in the case that they believe that there is a wrongdoing, something that needs to be changed, will deny that anything can be done on the same bases.

As I was discussing with someone today, the only thing that seems to be progressing in the world is technology; not humanity.