Kirsty Pargeter/iStock
DCL
Remember in seventh grade when you'd get into a conversation with the older, and by law of the land, much cooler kids, and they'd ask you something like, "What kind of music do you listen to?" And you'd see that glint in their eyes, knowing already that it's a trap but that you have to say something because you're on the spot and to say nothing would sound stupid...
"I like hard rock, I guess," you might eke out, but they're already shaking their heads.
"Hard Rock? Really?" They say, as they proceed to elbow you out of the conversation.
Okay, so maybe that only happened to me. And unfortunately, it's still happening-though on an entirely different scale. New scenario, same principles:
The Common Casual Swipe at Environmentalism
Three guys catch wind of a conversation I'm having about alternative energy at a sort of a cocktail party at a friend's. They're much better dressed, generally more professional looking, again a little older, and they each have a gorgeous, shapely woman hanging off of them. (Okay, so I made up the part about the shapely women). "You really think wind power will ever replace coal?" one asks, barely concealing a scoff.
"Well, yes, sort of," I say, though with about as much conviction as Cratchit had asking Scrooge for a day off. And guess what? Though veiled under a tepid inclination to appear polite, the reaction was mostly the same: haughty dismissal, and a subsequent boxing out of yours truly.
In both instances, I failed to make an argument defending my stance. But one was middle school, and concerned my taste in music. Not exactly instrumental in preserving the fabric of the world. Supporting [url='http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/09/no-shortage-of-innovation-at-west-coast-green-2008.php']alternative energy[/i] initiatives, however, is an idea I feel strongly about, both for the sake of our environment and the future of our nation's economy. It's important when such cases arise, I concluded soon after, that I need to be more willing to take a stand. We all do. We need to be able to explain ourselves firmly, when the occasions arise-yet not so stubbornly that we ourselves seem off-putting.
Defending Your Views
Sometimes it's certainly more socially prudent to keep quiet about certain environmental issues. But if I claim to be passionate about topics like renewable energy or wildlife conservation (as I do), then I'd better learn to wear my ideology on my sleeve-and learn to defend my case.
So my advice (both to myself and to you) is this: stay abreast of pertinent current events, and be able to explain yourself clearly. This might mean figuring out exactly why you consider yourself green-because global warming is a proven threat? Because it was a great moment in your life when your parents took you to Yellowstone or Yosemite, and you'd hate for your grandkids not to be able to see it as it was? Because you think energy independence is crucial to the economic future of the US?
If you cite concrete reasons and examples confidently, you'll likely put yourself at an advantage immediately: most people really don't have anything against environmentalism. They've simply grown to associate it with radicalism or hippies or Al Gore. And many have written concepts like alternative energy off without even thinking about it—that's where our responsibility comes in. Not to be snide, not to 'win' the argument, but to get them to think about it, and in doing so, prove that rational, good-natured folks can be passionate about the environment too.
This is Important. Trust Me.
After all, this is how paradigms and attitudes slowly shift, through idle conversation and everyday discussion. And it's always possible that someone's attitude could (slowly, slowly, slowly) begin to change during something as inconsequential-seeming as a dinner party or a barroom gathering. It's at least worth a shot, right? I mean, what's the worst those dinner guests can do? Tell the cheerleaders I'm a loser?
i]Got a gnawing question about green social graces? Drop us a line at etiquette (at) treehugger (dot) com.[/i]
