I know two vets personally. One definitely became a vet because she loved animals (even with the hypocrisy that comes with that as an omnivore) but the other one told me he made a financial decision at school, to become a vet because he learned that one of the jobs a vet is required to do is simply sign off on import/export licences for animal products. He now moves around the country covering vets who are off work/on holiday and mostly what he does is paperwork. And he’s paid damn well for it! He told me most of the vets he comes into contact with are not animal lovers in the sense I would expect them to be. It was an eye opening conversation and I’ve never forgotten it!
Interesting, thank you for sharing. I did a little digging around this and from the research it does appear to be the case that most vets get into the business through caring for animals, which is reassuring. No doubt there are other less wholesome motivations too though!
"I think a useful thing we can do is keep pointing at the design. If people think this is about individual hypocrisy, their identity tends to get tied up in it and it just becomes about defending themselves. I think highlighting the system behind it all could be a more effective way to spark change. Showing people how they’ve been misled, manipulated and deceived by industries and corporations that simply want to profit from them."
Thank you. I enjoy calling out inconsistency and hypocrisy as much as the next person, but there's a time and place for it. If we want people to make meaningful changes to how they think we have to work with what's most likely to work, and it usually isn't that.
It's a great example of systemic normalisation. Unless we're brought up in a household who already recognise the issues, we are all taught to perceive that exploiting animals to eat is 'normal' and 'necessary' and from then on, depending on the practices of those around us or the industry we gravitate to, we're taught more 'normal and necessary' uses of animals.
I know two vets personally. One definitely became a vet because she loved animals (even with the hypocrisy that comes with that as an omnivore) but the other one told me he made a financial decision at school, to become a vet because he learned that one of the jobs a vet is required to do is simply sign off on import/export licences for animal products. He now moves around the country covering vets who are off work/on holiday and mostly what he does is paperwork. And he’s paid damn well for it! He told me most of the vets he comes into contact with are not animal lovers in the sense I would expect them to be. It was an eye opening conversation and I’ve never forgotten it!
Interesting, thank you for sharing. I did a little digging around this and from the research it does appear to be the case that most vets get into the business through caring for animals, which is reassuring. No doubt there are other less wholesome motivations too though!
"I think a useful thing we can do is keep pointing at the design. If people think this is about individual hypocrisy, their identity tends to get tied up in it and it just becomes about defending themselves. I think highlighting the system behind it all could be a more effective way to spark change. Showing people how they’ve been misled, manipulated and deceived by industries and corporations that simply want to profit from them."
Absolutely great conclusion
Thank you. I enjoy calling out inconsistency and hypocrisy as much as the next person, but there's a time and place for it. If we want people to make meaningful changes to how they think we have to work with what's most likely to work, and it usually isn't that.
I find it to be a very insightful article. Thank you, David!
Thank you!
It's a great example of systemic normalisation. Unless we're brought up in a household who already recognise the issues, we are all taught to perceive that exploiting animals to eat is 'normal' and 'necessary' and from then on, depending on the practices of those around us or the industry we gravitate to, we're taught more 'normal and necessary' uses of animals.
Told my vet I saw a cool coffee mug (Our Honor) about vets not eating their patients... She snapped, "I don't eat cats and dogs!" :(