Do meat eater question their ethics around vegetarians?!
I sometimes feel that I need to be careful how I tell people that I am vegan, and when they ask why, I always wonder if I will get "attacked" because of it.
All vegetarians and vegans at some point wonder why meat eaters can be aggressive towards vegetarians/vegans.
Do they question their ethics around us, therefore lash out? Do they feel that we are judging their ethics?
Do you judge their ethics?
Answers: (thanks maggie for inspiring this question)
I sometimes feel that I need to be careful how I tell people that I am vegan, and when they ask why, I always wonder if I will get "attacked" because of it.
All vegetarians and vegans at some point wonder why meat eaters can be aggressive towards vegetarians/vegans.
Do they question their ethics around us, therefore lash out? Do they feel that we are judging their ethics?
Do you judge their ethics?
very good and pointed question....just why do these "sub-species" feel so threatened by one another? It looks to me as though you've already got the answer pretty well figured out....and that there's really no answer. I will say this: the jury is still NOT out as to which is the most healthy diet and I suspect that's one of the fear-factors. Vegans seem to be stigmatized as an eating disorder. If people can just make it to be more a personal preference than anything else, such as body art, then I bet everything would be cool.
I will add this, though.You MUST be more careful to get a number of the essential nutrients which occur mainly in meat. Soy protein is not necessarily the best - after all - unless it has been fermented. If not fermented - well, there's a not too well-known study out "there" which was conducted by the good o'l FDA a couple decades ago which concluded that soy (at least unfermented soy) tends to atrophy the thyroid. This is NOT a good thing. And without soy, where will you get your protein as a vegan? Other of the B complex vitamins may be deficient. You just need to be certain to take a GOOD daily multi-nutrient supplement with EACH meal to keep your nutri-bases covered. Maybe you should consider lowering a couple restrictions and allow yourself some fish and cheese at least. Miso is great.....sushi, too, if quality is superior. Kelp helps with the thyroid issues, a little. If you can handle eggs, then that would really resolve alot of your issues - they're, when prepared correctly, one of the very most complete foods available.
Take care of that body God gave you. It's really quite awesome!
im not a vegan and just found out one of my friends is vegan today, but i didn't attack her, some non vegan just feel different around vegans. Not all of us attack vegans. I just don't like vegetables that much.
I never judge, lest I be judged. The decision to eat meat is as personal as deciding which religion to believe in.
My best gal pal is vegan and we never have a problem deciding where to eat when we go out. When we invite each other over it's never an issue of what to cook. Besides, I LOVE seeing my meat loving husbands face when I tell him Karen's coming over! LMAO
I am an omnivore and I have a lot of family members who are vegans. When we have get-togethers, we always make sure there is something for everyone. I don't think meat-eaters question their ethics, I think that meat-eating has just been the norm for so long, anyone who is different is always the subject of ridicule, whether it's the heavy kid on the playground, or the vegan.
I confronted my friend (who is a vegetarian) about this. i think many people can be agressive about this subject because its something many people take for granted. i mean, its can be for many meat eaters that vegetarians come across as 'strange' or 'pointless'. (i dont want to question your views becasue thats not nice =]) but i get quite aggressive when i feel strongly about something, maybe i just feel thats the best way to get my point across.
I think if i could talk to one face to face about what they can and can't eat I would be an avid listener, as long as they don't dump on meat eaters and spout quotes about the bad things about meat.
I am open minded and a meat eater.
If you attack me as a meat eater I will go on the defensive.
I am actually omnivorous, as most other people are.
I think that some do instantly get defensive without cause because they heard of someone who knew someone who used to be vegetarian and they were a total nazi about it, or they go by the stereotype they see in the movies.
I'm sure some do question their ethics, but I doubt majority of them do. If they did, they'd change their actions. They're okay with it, but when you bump into someone who does things differently, essentially that means the person feels they found a "better" way. Some will feel judged because of that. It's funny how they judge us thinking we're judging them.
As I've said before, many of them don't realize that most of us don't care what they eat or do, and they are the ones picking fights over our differences, not us. My diet and lifestyle is second nature to me. I don't put that much thought into it, it just is. I find many omnis are more obsessed with my choices than I am.
I think it is because so many vegetarians/vegans are so rude and vicious and attack meat eaters and we are getting tired of their crappy attitude towards us.
Good luck
I eat meat more than I eat veggies and I never feel bad about it. But one of my friends is a vegetarian and sometimes it makes me nervous. I'm afraid I'll say something that may offend her and she'll quit talking to me. I think VERY few people question their ethics on food, though it can make them nervous at times.
I went vegetarian in 1969; I'm vegan now.
I've never known a meat eater become aggressive towards me, except on this forum. Sometimes, but not that often, people ask questions about it, but there's nothing wrong with curiosity and discussion. Does it make them question their ethics? Not noticeably.
No I never judge meat eaters' ethics regarding their diet; I may have opinions about their or anyone's ethics in other areas of their lives, but not their dietary choices
I don't care what they chose to eat as long as they don't care what I eat.
I eat meat. Not a lot but I eat it.
I don't question myself one bit. If you want to be a vegetarian or vegan, go for it.
Not me!
When I meet a vegan, I instantly hate them because I assume they're insane.
To me, people who put so much thought into the treatment of animals bred for food have a screw lose.