Why do meat-eaters seem so uncomfortable with vegetarianism?!
Answers: I think it stems from a vegan or vegetarian being different from themselves. I have many meat-eating friends. A few of them do make the occasional joke, but for the most part they are fine with it, and why shouldn't they be? I don't preach to them and I have no problem with their diet, I eat for myself. Those who make fun may have insecurities or they may even have doubts as to the healthiness of their own diet and are not sure how to portray their concern for their own diet. Some people are just immature and that's the only explanation you can give, those people are not worth your time. With the correct education, not argument, when presented with a person like you ask about you'll gain more interest in you dietary choices and less intimidation from those who choose to eat meat.
Because they like vegetarians once were, feel guilty about devouring the flesh of cute fuzzy wuzzy animals.
Because they LOOOOVE their meat and have been programmed to eat it their entire lives. Giving up meat altogether can just seem a little crazy. It's almost like asking people to stop wearing clothes. It's just a part of their lives. I know because I am one of them, though I am incorporating a lot more vegetarian meals into my life.
They're jealous to the point of insanity.
Because they don't understand it and people are afraid of what they don't get.
Well, for me, I'm not uncomfortable with vegetarianism.
I am uncomfortable with the attitude that vegetarianism is a "better" choice, or somehow more evolved.
For instance, most of us are not "meat-eaters", we are omnivores - our diets include everything. This is more how humans evolved than any veg diet - as evidenced by our need for B12. Veg, whether vegan or lacto-ovo, MUST supplement B12 in order to stay healthy. There is no B12 present in a vegan diet, and yeast is prolly the only source in vegetarian diet.
So why do you want to try to change the tide of human evolution? :o)
We're not uncomfortable with it. We just don't see any point in cutting out a large component of the naturally evolved human omnivorous diet for vague philosophical reasons.
No doubt most people in Western Civilization eat far more meat than is good for them, but on the other hand, you do need a certain amount of protein and iron, and that's the easiest way to get it.
I'll go for a few days at a time without eating meat, but that's only because I like other things as well.
I enjoy meat, and the only problem that I have with vegetarians is that they seem to be very judgmental because I have not embarrassed their lifestyle. I had a friend who was a vegetarian, and I went to great lengths to make her comfortable with the meal being served. I think that just because she chooses to not eat meat, that it is not my job to try to convince her otherwise. It would be nice if you let me be without trying to make me feel guilty. It won't work anyway. But, I also feel that if I know that someone is a vegetarian, it is my job to make those options (veggie dishes and such) available to them without making them feel uncomfortable with what I am serving. Does that make any sense?
The reason would be mistaken assumptions on the viewer's part.
The fact that the thumbs are going my way might mean I'm not being clear enough. What I meant was the vegetarian was imagining things.
prejudice
In all the years Ive been veg*n, I have really never met anyone who was 'uncomfortable' with it. In the 60s and early 70s many people were curious, but not judgmental.
I can honestly say the only place I've ever encountered people who were judgmental or rude about it, or hostile towards veg*nism, or uncomfortable with it is here.
In real life I've never encountered this.
The answer would be that not all of them are. There is such a thing as a perfectly enlightened, open-minded omnivore. For the ones that are uncomfortable, some of them simply do not understand deciding not to eat something they love so much. Others may be trying to disassociate their food from live animals and our presence makes it hard for them to do that.
dWell, I have been veggie since I was 11. It is a personal choice, and one which I don't feel the need to explain, or justify. But, personally, I have never met any people more opinionated regarding diets, than other vegetarians and vegans! I find many to be insulting, righteous, hypocritical, narrow mined, rude and blinkered....and with no sense of common manners or personal choice, as they feel it is fine to labour THEIR beliefs to all and sundry, presenting them as gospel. I KNOW it angers me.......and I agree with much of what they preach! Yet, Heaven forbid a meat eater asks even one thing about THEIR diet!
1) There is a lot of negative press about vegetarianism and it is often associated with extreme left-wing radicals, hippies, communism, and anarchy (mainly in terms of being "antiestablishment"). This is disconcerting to a lot of people, even people who consider themselves politically liberal.
2) For people who eat meat, it is difficult to understand why a person would not want to eat meat or would not enjoy it if they did. Omnivores enjoy the taste/texture and physical benefits of the protein in meat. Since vegetarians don't, for whatever reason, it is seen as strange.
3) Omnivores often feel guilty around vegetarians because they don't want to give up their meat-eating rights, but feel like they have to in front of vegetarians.
4) There are some quite vocal militant vegetarians who go around shouting "meat is murder" and such. This militant tag is often blindly attached to all vegetarians, regardless of whether they really would consider forcing everyone to be vegetarian or not.
As a lifelong vegetarian who grew up in a rural, meat eating community...I've wondered the exact same thing. Even though I seldomly bring it up, if word gets out that I'm a vegetarian than that automatically means that I'm stepping on someone's toes.
Don't worry...people are slowly starting to wise up. Most of the problem comes from ignorance.
Because vegetarians are questioning what they were told is okay. Whenever someone is told what they have been taught since the time they could eat solid foods is wrong, they feel the minority is wrong.