CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
Classical
conditioning (also known as Pavlovian or respondent conditioning)
is a learning process in which an innate response to a potent stimulus comes to
be elicited in response to a previously neutral stimulus; this is achieved by
repeated pairings of the neutral stimulus with the potent stimulus. (definition
from Wikipedia)
In 1901
Nobel Prize winner Ivan Pavlov conditioned his dogs to salivate at the sound of
a metronome. This is called classical conditioning or respondent conditioning. We as consumers have been conditioned by corporations
our whole lives. We believe their advertising to be true, even when it isn’t.
We believe the government would remove ads that aren’t true to protect us.
Can we
reverse conditioning? Yes, we can. If we repeatedly sounded the metronome and
did not feed the dogs, gradually they would stop salivating at the sound.
Likewise, as consumers, if we are aware of what advertisers are doing and seek
out the truth, we can reverse our conditioning.
Advertisers
like to use an advertising technique sometimes called “the warm fuzzies”,
especially at the holidays. This technique is used to target your heart, and
make you buy a product because it reminds you of your mother, or your dog, or
your childhood, etc., Once you are aware of this, the “warm fuzzy” commercials
actually start to seem nauseating.
Likewise,
with the meat, dairy, and egg industry. Once you see the truth behind them, once
you see what they don’t want you to see, once you learn what they don’t want
you to know, it’s easy to overcome their conditioning.
Take the
dairy industry as an example.
In 1974 the
dairy industry promoted milk as being healthy and needed to build strong bones.
The FTC told them to stop as the ads were false, but they still imply that
today, even though almost 80% of the population has milk allergies or are
lactose intolerant. Studies have shown people who consume dairy are at a higher
risk for bone fractures. Yet they continue to imply that milk is needed by the
human body to build strong bones. They try to show people that dairy cows are
happy cows. They even try to fool people into thinking that a cow will give
milk without having calves.
Dairy cows
are one of the most abused animals in the industry. The dairy industry will
show you cows in a field eating grass on a small family farm, but that is far
from the truth. Most of our dairy comes from huge factory farms. The industry
will call a factory farm a “family farm” if most of the stock is owned by a
family. Organic milk isn’t any nicer to
cows.
The industry
would like you to believe dairy cows live a stress free life. Nothing is
further from the truth.
Dairy cows
are repeatedly raped because the only way they can give milk is to have
calves. The industry will call this
“artificial insemination”, but they have to use equipment to hold the cow
still. This equipment is referred to as a “rape rack.”
Shortly
after giving birth, the calf will be taken from its mother. After all, the milk
is for consumers not for calves. There isn’t any profit in giving milk to
calves. These calves are either killed for their skins, used in rodeos, used to
make cheese (cheese is made with rennet, which is a calf stomach) or used for
veal. Veal calves are chained in small crates so they can hardly move. They are
fed a very unhealthy diet. This makes their flesh pale in color and brings a
higher price for the corporation. They are killed in just 6 short months.
Cows
naturally live for up to 20 years, but in the dairy they average 5-7 years.
That’s 5-7 years of repeatedly being raped, having their babies stolen and
killed, being fed massive amounts of hormones and chemicals, and having the
life milked out of them.
Once you
learn the truth about dairy, you will never look at a glass of milk, or a piece
of cheese the same. You will be repulsed by the very presence of dairy. Dairy
ads will make you angry as you become aware of how they are trying to fool the
public.
I encourage
you to research your food. You only have one body for your life. Know what you
put into your body, where it comes from, how it’s made, and what it contains. I
encourage you to be AWARE. Make educated choices for how you spend your money.
Once you
learn the truth about dairy, meat and egg industries you will become outraged
at how they are trying to brainwash us. Once you see how they are not only
destroying people’s health and torturing animals, but also causing planet
destruction and world starvation, you will become more outraged. Once you see how they are keeping these secrets
from the public you will become outraged enough to stop buying their products. Then
and only then will you know that your choices are your own and not the product
of conditioning. Then and only then will you know true freedom. Veganism isn’t extreme,
it’s informed and being aware.
