What is behind some people's desire to expose vegans as hypocrites?!
Answers: I encountered two questions that at this today. I am a vegan and never claimed that follow it perfectly, but I do my best. If you can only follow your beliefs 90% of the time, rather than 100% of the time, does that mean you should give up your beliefs all together? Of course not. You do what you can.
I think there are a few reasons.
One of course is that some people are upset and frustrated by anyone who's different from them and has made choices they don't sympathise with. That's immaturity and those who do it for that reason will probably grow up one day.
Another is a misunderstanding of the word vegan. Rather than accepting that veganism means doing all that is practical and possible to reduce your personal contribution to animal suffering, some non-vegans set their own absurd standard of what vegan means - why, they ask, aren't you out on the motorway stopping animals being killed by cars? how can you call yourself vegan when you wear clothes, walk on pavements, live in houses, breathe the air...??
Another reason is a misunderstanding of the word hypocrisy; so someone will say, if you're a vegan and you eat fake meat you're a hypocrite. You're not, of course - you would be a hypocrite if you claimed you didn't eat fake meats and secretly ate them. But saying you don't eat meat and then eating something that's - well - that's NOT MEAT - that's not hypocrisy.
The most recent 'vegans are hypocrites' attack on here has been about vegans who take life-saving medicine which has, by law, been tested on animals at some time in the past. This I regard as the nastiest and most dangerous piece of anti-veganism we see on here. Dangerous because they are suggesting on a board they KNOW is read by a large number of very young and impressionable people that a true vegan would allow themselves to die in the event of serious illness or accident.
I think people who come on here and spout this kind of nonsense often start to do so because they think they have thought of someting no vegan will have considered yet, and hope to catch them out. And often they assume vegans are simple-minded and will be devastated and struck dumb by their wit and clever reasoning.
When they find from the answers they receive that many people on here are intelligent and articulate and can provide reasoned responses, they become angry and return here repeatedly trying to do what they hoped to do the first time. Have you noticed that they never pick a best answer that actually answers their question? They always choose another anti-vegan, even if that person has made no attempt to anwer the question asked, but has just said 'Yeah, they're all hypocrites and they think they're better than us'.
Almost all vegans recognise and acknowledge that it's not possible to live in this world and be 100% vegan - animal by products are used in so many ways, and animals are harmed by and for things we use every day. A simplistic (and pretty simple-minded) response is to say 'oh well, then there's no point in doing anything. If you're not out on the motorway saving deer from cars, what's the point of not eaing meat or wearing leather?'. An even more simple-minded response is to say 'anyone who doesn't eat meat and isn't out on that motorway is a hypocrite'.
All anyone can do is their best. I would prefer to be a vegan, but sometimes it's just not possible. After falling, you have to get up and try again.
I'm not vegan, but I here ya. It's like putting you in a little box just because you said you are vegan. No one should be judging how vegan aaaannnnnndddd-it's not their business to judge you as a hypocrite or not.
You don't have to give up your beliefs but you are not a vegan if you consume or use any animal products. I don't eat anything from animals but I do enjoy take photos which the negatives contain gelatin and take medicine with gel coatings. So clearly I can't claim to be vegan.
People take issue with people who are different from them or who believe different things. Meaters attempt to expose vegans, atheists attempt to trip up Christians, Republicans attack Democrats, Democrats attack Republicans, Pro-life vs. Pro-choice etc.
Considering the terrible things said sometimes in here about meat eaters you really shouldn't be bothered by meaters engaging vegers. Vegers who post mean things about meaters are no better nor worse than meaters who post mean things about vegers are they?
It's all what comes around goes around. Sadly it goes round and round and round and round and round and round and round and.................
They are jealous they do not have as much self-discipline as you. They are clearly the hypocrites.
Wow do I win the ignorant trophy today!
I had no idea people did this. No really, not just on Y!A.
Sadly, I'm not surprised.
If it's not one veganism then it's faith. If it's not faith then it's politics. If it's not politics it's something else and so on and so on. Why in the world people have to be so ill and unaccepting toward one another is beyond me. I think we humans could all use a nice swift kick in the pants.
Stick to your beliefs! Don't let someone else dictate to you how you should live your own life or let someone else tell you what they think your beliefs should consist of!
OTTBallgame: You took the
words right out of my mouth.
I applaud you. Hear Hear!
i guess for the same reason people try to prove christians to be hypocrites. i mean, they are, but we're all some kind of hypocrite to a degree or another. but the best point made is that we try our best and stick to our convictions as best as humanly possible. but i also think that it's a pasttime for some people to point out the misgivings of others because it kind of cancels out their own.
As a vegetarian, I believe that labels mean nothing. What we do to improve the world and how we impact that world is what matters. Trying to cause less harm in the world is a worthwhile endeavor even if others do not understand what beliefs we follow.
While not vegan or vegetarian, "I eat for my blood type"!
However (not to be redundant), Smurf, OTT, the fine author of this question and C Daisy: You are my hero's! I live vicariously through people like you.
Excellence will prevail cause God's son is one of us and water does find it's own level!
I'll cook you guys dinner anytime!
Hi Joanne,
Because we all have a choice and if meat eaters decide to eat
meat let us get on with its just that we get a little fed up with you all banging on about how bad we are and destroying the worlds population of animals.
Regards...
CoffeeBean
Because some of your ilk claim to love and save animals. However, they only love and try to save the animals from factory farms, cute little chickies and cowies and piggies. This isn't Disney, honey, animals are raised for the express purpose of slaughter/consumption. Besides, by their human nature, they exploit animals, PERIOD. If you want a detailed list, email me. Doing 90% of your beliefs, is admirable, but very few in here actually realize that that is all they can do, about 80 to 90%.
Getting back to their animal loving; why don't they save the deer from getting splattered on the highway? Why aren't they out protecting other animals? Hypocrisy, that's why.
Just ignorance. Don't worry about what other say. If they have the right to say that they enjoy meat and love eating it we also have to right to enjoy what we eat and have our reasons. Branding vegetarians as hypocrites is just due to ignorance.
You see weak people look for desperate ways to show their superiority. Its better to ignore such people and such comments.
You are completely right. Do the best you can, and when you cant dont be so hard on yourself. Your doing more then any of those other ignorant ***** are. :D
Be proud to be vegan; its the most amazing thing you can do for yourself, the planet, and all the little fuzzies across the globe! :D
Because it is something they don't understand?
In my life I have vegan, vegetarian, meat eating friends and family, I accept all their choices, and they accept mine.
It is only in yahoo answers that i have encountered an anti-vegan/vegetarian attitude, I can only assume its because they are ignorant in the facts about veg*n
Superb answer lo-mcg
I have to say this makes me stop and think a bit. The last several days I have been on a rant. I guess maybe I was irritated by the people who call themselves vegan/vegetarian and ask what is the best recipe for a fish dish. I find that insulting and I am not even a veggie.
I have now learned that even the most devoted among you are not perfect. This enables me to not feel the need to strongly defend the forum I have learned so much from.
My objectives were to have people ease up on the "not really a vegeatarian" input, but then I realized something. I am a meat eater not a vegetarian. I use this forum to educate me on how I can go about reducing my meat intake not ceasing it alltogether.
I am at least trying to make a difference, but I guess that makes me the biggest hypocrite of them all.
I think everytime someone says "I'm a vegan" or "I'm a Christian" or I'm this or that; some small minded people are threatened and try to deflate them in some way.
However, it might be deserved to certain extent if the person with the belief is somehow overbearing or pretentious about it.
For example, I know of a minister who told a story about how he saw someone with no shoes and he took off his own shoes and gave them away. He wasn't giving a sermon, he was talking to people in a casual group of family and friends. If he really did it, sure, it's admirable. But, if he felt the need to tell people about it (when the people didn't come to hear a sermon), it seemed like he was saying "look at how good I am."
Similarly, I think vegans, vegetarians (or whatever) will make a better example if they shut the hell up while in mixed company unless someone asks them about it. Most people don't want to hear a sermon if they don't ask for one.
On the other hand, popular culture is spreading the stereotype that "vegans/vegetarians are preachy, annoying, hypocrites." Some people will automatically believe that even if they never met one. I think the hateful stuff here on the V&V forum is usually based on that kind of thinking.
But, just the same, I think it's a lot better to live your beliefs and say as little about them as possible unless you can be reasonably sure someone will be interested.
Can't we just live in PEACE, why do we have to answer to anyone for what we eat. how can we categorized each other and expect acceptance. meaters, vegans, how could one say cruelty to animals and not cruelty to plants, when they were both rear for humans consumption.
Meat eating and plant eating is as old as man, are we so intelligent, civilized and conscientiously aware that we've now found a reason to fight about it.
Please enjoy your meals.