Hey all,
So I recently decided to go vegan. My personal reasons for ditching animal products were because of environmental factors, animal welfare, and trying to maintain consistency with the values I hold to their logical ends.
I was curious. I’ve seen a lot of hate towards vegans online, admittedly being someone who partook in that several years ago myself to a small degree. While I’m glad and very lucky people I know closely have been making accommodations for me, I’m also worried about mentioning or bringing it up to people I’m getting to know since I don’t want to rub them the wrong way if they possibly have these notions that being vegan and veganism are a bad thing. Namely when it’s relevant in conversation like people asking me why I read ingredients lists or can’t have something they’re offering me, which I’ve been half-lying attributing to food allergies and intolerances out of worry (I’m lactose intolerant, which helps as a cop-out).
I’m wanting to know what people dislike about vegans, whether they’re based on previous experiences they’ve had, or preconceived notions, and what would make someone a “good vegan” in their eyes. I know I shouldn’t be a people-pleaser, but knowing this stuff would definitely help me gain the confidence to be more open about myself and my personal values to others who don’t necessarily share said values.
Thanks in advance, I’ll try to respond where possible, but it’s going to be a busy day for me, though I do read all replies to posts I make.
Lots of non-vegans make the assumption that vegans are looking down on them as morally inferior and don’t like it.
The best you can do for them is to tell them that it isn’t about them; it’s your choice for yourself.
Of course you might actually see them as morally inferior, in which case you can just say “Hey I am vegan and while I do see you as morally inferior, it wasn’t me who brought up the subject.”
Plenty of non vegans have those views due to first hand experiences with those vegans, namely the few vocal ones that make veganism their entire personality and admonish anyone who isn’t like them. Personally, I’ve been chewed out twice by two separate vegans, once because I ordered a cheeseburger at a bar (we were out having beers, I got hungry, ordered a burger, and friend of a friend proceeded on a half hour rant about how I’m evil and am destroying the planet, and that I am a terrible person, etc), the other because I walked past a rally on my way somewhere and wasn’t expressly in support of their cause. I also have a couple buddies that went the vegan route, but we just don’t talk about to because it’s a pointless argument. Like, I’m cool with y’all’s choice, power to you, just don’t crawl up my ass because I like meat. Live and let live