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Thanks for sharing such a gut-wrenchingly honest account of what led you to these insights - and for working to make this more of an interactive community. I’ve been having some trouble lately with how easily ego and narcissism and insecurity can seemingly rise to the surface and divide people into conflict and alienation, within larger virtual and geographic vegan/animal rights communities in which people would seem to be able to feel and share certain core values and experiences so deeply in common with each other. In a world in which most seem callous or in defensive denial, or just distracted, why do these stupid feuds and cliques and ideological conflicts or contests over attention and clout seem to break out so easily among the relative few who at least ostensibly know and care and are motivated to focus on what’s really important? Is it garden variety splintering and factionalism that’s long been seen as a special talent of the left? Is it the narcissism of small differences? Do vegan/AR communities or some parts of them combine with social media insanity to create fishbowl environments which encourage jealously and gossip and attempts to undermine people working for the same goals? Maybe at some point I’ll use an unpleasant and disappointing experiences I’ve had over the last year to help illustrate this dynamic. But I’m curious if others have seen or experienced this, too?

But I don’t want to focus on a sometimes demoralizing side to what we have in common. Sanctuaries are truly magical, peaceful, healing places. And I’ve found some of the most sincere, committed, motivated, and kind people at the one I’m fortunate to live just close enough to be able to volunteer at semi-regularly. The humble, dirty work of cleaning out coops and barns and scrubbing water bowls for and sometimes while being harassed by the residents is oddly satisfying. Pitching in to try and fix something new to me feels like a chance to learn with no negative judgment looming. But some of us still struggle to truly engage deeply with other humans, to trust other humans, including other vegans, other activists and volunteers, as much as we’d like to. I’m in that boat and fear I’ve become more isolated and less hopeful since I became vegan six years ago. There are other more salient reasons of course why this may have happened. But the second-hand pain of being aware of so much suffering and not being able to stop it or forget it or turn it off is something I’m sure many of us have struggled with. It makes love and trust and fellowship with other humans, and true common cause - maybe not on every last issue, but on this one - even more important.

Wish I could join the virtual meeting this evening - another time. But I wanted to say thanks and share some thoughts that may or may not resonate with others.

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This is a very thoughtful and wise comment. The questions you ask are super important ones! Thanks for joining -- and hope you are able to join sometime soon! Maybe we can answer some of these questions together.

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