Okay, you're probably sick of hearing from me about this, and maybe I need to examine why it bothers me so much, but I got another pissy comment in
my Etsy feedback today from someone who didn't appreciate receiving the
Compassionate Choices brochure in her order, and I'm feeling disheartened-slash-annoyed again. On the plus side, she was kind enough to base her actual feedback rating on the crafts(wo)manship of the ring itself and the service she received, and therefore gave me a positive overall rating despite her mixed comments.
This particular customer accuses me of proselytizing, which isn't far off from what
the original complainer had to say. So it's not the first time (or even the second time, to be honest) that I've been accused of this particular offense. I've been giving it some thought though, and I'm a little confused about the negative connotation associated with the word 'proselytize'. Granted, I don't know many people who like having another person's religious views pushed upon them, but I looked this word up in the dictionary, and it pertains to a lot more than just religion.
proselytizeintransitive verb1 : to induce someone to convert to one's faith
2 : to recruit someone to join one's party, institution, or cause
transitive verb1 : to recruit or convert especially to a new faith, institution, or cause
According to this definition, a proselytizer is anyone working for a cause of any kind. And if you think about it, where would we be in this country without proselytizers? Slavery would still be legal, as would child labor, child abuse, and spousal abuse; women and African Americans would be prohibited from voting; AIDS, cancer, and all kinds of other diseases would have claimed many more lives, and the environment would be in an even sorrier state than it currently is.
Curses on all of those damned proselytizers who have enabled us all to live the privileged existences we currently enjoy!!! How dare they!?! I mean, obviously I'm saying this rather sarcastically, but really - why do people get so bent out of shape by another person's attempt to improve the world and reduce suffering? I guess it's nothing new; throughout history, there have always been those who fight to defend the status quo - who stubbornly resist change despite overwhelming evidence of its benefit or necessity.
Another aspect of my most recent detractor's objection was her assertion that "to use Etsy to proselytyse [sic] is totally inappropriate." Now, I just can't let that go unchallenged, because I object so strongly to her premise.
I worked in mind-numbing office jobs for ten years before finally deciding to take a chance on myself and launch my jewelry business. When I began to seriously research online selling opportunities, there were other sites I could have chosen in favor of Etsy. Ultimately, what drew me to Etsy (and what keeps me there) is the company's philosophy of empowering artists, building community, and celebrating individuality.
Community activism is, for many (although certainly not all) Etsy artists, central to their business model or personal ethics. There are so many amazing people on Etsy, each with her own passions and interests - as evidence, check out Etsy's
Team profile page - there are Etsy teams devoted to all kinds of charity and activism, from
VeganEtsy (of which I am, not surprisingly, a proud member), to promoting
child literacy, to supporting
greyhound adoptions, and so very much more. I have met an incredible number of amazing people on Etsy who donate a portion of their sales to all kinds of charities. This spirit of giving and sharing and spreading good karma (for lack of a less-hippie-sounding word) is at the center of what makes Etsy special. I, for one, would be far less likely to continue to give Etsy my business if this were not the case.
I had more planned out in my head to say on this subject as I was lying in bed last night. I guess I should have grabbed a pencil and scribbled some notes because it's gone now. If I think of anything else, you can be sure I will be back to bore you with it soon.
