I've not run into anyone preachy. However, I've noticed that certain people in my life have witnessed my positive results eating vegan and would like the same results, but just don't believe they have the self-control. They have witnessed specific improvements first hand; better health, reduced frequency of migraines, no more acne, sharpness of mind and a good, steady energy level.

It seems to me, at least in some cases, people realize that eating vegan yields amazing results, but they believe they just can't do it, so they slam all vegans to justify their way of eating, which, in turn, puts vegans on the defensive and I can definitely see how that might make someone "preachy" if they feel like they have to defend their position.

I just found an example of the judgmental preachy vegan that seems so elusive lol, Check out this thread and tell me if you can spot them.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/602008-should-vegans-eat-honey

Make sure you read the whole thread, and if you think you've spotted them click on their profile and then you will know for sure.

Not saying I don't agree to a point but they come across way way to judgmental, the only thing accomplished with this attitude is causing a meat eater to go home and enjoy their thick juicy steak that much more out of spite.

You catch more bees with honey than you do with vinegar hahahahahaha I made a joke that has to do with the title of that thread.....................well I thought it was pretty clever

I assume you're referring to me. If you think I'm "preachy" well then I am proud of that. I consider the consumption of animal products abhorrent because it is murder and torture, so I don't have much respect for excuses or omnivore crap when it comes to talking about dietary ethics.

I don't know what on earth gave you that idea I am glad you are so proud but I do want you to consider something, when did being preachy and judgemental ever turn someone in your favor, any possible people that are open to the idea of becoming vegan would be put off by your attitude about them. Also thinking that they don't want to become a preachy vegan themselves and when you show them that's what you are like then they are left to assume they might become that way as well or they are afraid people will assume they are that way because they are vegan because thats how they view you by your judgement of them, and in the end who does that hurt...................the animals that you have so much respect and love for. I know for a fact that I have spent years now convincing my fiance that most vegans are not preachy and pale because of only a few he has come across that were. It only takes one person to convince someone that they all are like that. Now I know where you are coming from when meat eaters get defensive and ask you a crap load of stupid questions just to get your riled up and by all means fire away, but I sincerely hope you don't act that way to meat eaters looking to change their diet.......remember who you are doing it for. You might say you don't care what meat eaters think and have no respect for them but you take the chance of putting off someone you could have influenced in a positive way and cost the lives of so many animals they would have eaten and I don't know how you could not care about that.

I am not in any way responsible for the poor choices people choose to make after information is provided. This only further proves they are terrible human beings if a "negative" attitude can dissuade them from a clearly ethical choice. In my experience being up-front, honest and blunt is incredibly effective and HAS helped people see that they are doing horrible things, which merits change, even if it initially offends them. I am only outright disrespectful to people who disrespect veganism, animal rights and welfare, and idiots who bombard me with ridiculous questions and untrue assertions. If someone asks my opinion I provide it without the sugar-coating, because you can't and shouldn't make something as horrific as the meat/dairy/egg industries an easy pill to swallow. Catering to people's sensitive little feelings and saying "I respect your choice to eat meat" does not help the cause in any way because it normalizes the experience and reinforces the idea that it's okay, it's just a personal choice, like what outfit to wear, when it's nothing like that. Murder is not a lifestyle choice, even though it has been marketed in that way.

You do veganism your way, and I'll do it mine.

Taking or not taking responsibility doesn't mean ****, throwing a pebble in a pond is still going to cause ripples whether you admit to throwing the pebble or not. So does your attitude as others have said to you on previous posts, and one vegan in here even states that in her opinion vegans like you do more damage than good by putting off people that would consider being vegan. But hey do veganism your own way, humans aren't the ones that suffer from your ripples. Oh and nobody said you needed to tell someone you respect their choice to eat meat, but calling them rapists and murderers not only makes you sound ridiculous but is quite offensive and off putting to someone who was RAISED in that lifestyle, Why would they even consider your opinion when they think you are a judgemental vegan lunatic. Do you really expect them to go oh gosh you are right I am a rapist and murderer thank you so much for letting me know I will change that right away. You maximize your chances for positive results by not offending the people you are trying to persuade. That's just common sense. But hey like you said you do veganism your way, doesn't hurt anyone but the animals you are trying to save.

I have explained to a few people they *really* didn't want to have a discussion on veganism. Honestly, they don't. A sincere, in-depth discussion would involve sadness beyond measure which they clearly don't want to face. They drop it. This has ony happened a few times...most people say the standard few annoying lines and we all move on with life. Of course, some people are just...cool with it.

I figure that living well/long life is our best revenge!

I have had carnivores tell me that all my health problems (chronic illness) are due to my vegan diet. However, the illness started before I went vegan. So there!

OK I don't know why someone flagged this quote for moderation but there is NOTHING wrong with what this poster is saying. Please don't flag posts unless there is a legitimate reason too flag it. Thanks.

I'm certainly not going to start eating cheese again just so they'll shut up either. :P

Good for you! There are plenty of preachy people, be they vegan, christian, liberal, or fashionistas. You can't please everyone, so just do what you know is right and let the rest of them kiss your a**

I think for me one of the biggest problems I have is that people feel guilty eating the food they choose around me. Its weird its like if you were to tell people you were a pastor they would act different knowing that well some would and I feel that a lot of times when eating with people. I have actually been out with people and they have ordered and then I order and they ask if they should change their order because it might tempt me or my favorite if I order first how sometimes people will suddenly want a salad. ha ha. It still amazes me after being vegan for 14 months just how my personal decision affects some many people around me. I do get the occasional comment by people that you vegans are real serious about your cause. I always say that I have made this choice for me and it is not for everyone but it does work for me. Thanks for the tread its been interesting what everyone has commented its always good to know we are not alone in this world ha ha.

I am an imperfect Vegan. I fall of the wagon! But, I get back on and the reason is? A documentary called Forks over Knifes. So, when anyone asks my why I prefer the vegan diet I refer them to this movie on Hulu.com.

Of course there are other more personal reasons: a life long weight problem, and more close to my heart the barbaric treatment of animals in the food industry - and even if they were treated humanely it would still be, to my mind, barbaric to eat another sentient being. Many animals have to eat other animals because they cannot survive any other way, but we do not have this excuse. I do not have this excuse. However, I keep these ideas to myself because most people would find them insulting, as these ideas indirectly argue against the idea of mankind being given blessed dominion over the earth by a divinity who favors humans above all other species. I do not think most people are ready for a God who feels equal affection for all he created.

i totally know how you feel about this. after lots of contemplation and interest in being vegan i switched overnight, from a diet that mainly consisted of meat/eggs/dairy before. i did it for a number of reasons; health, animal well being, sustainability, resources for world hunger, etc. when i made the switch i pledged to myself that i wouldn't be one of "those" vegans who tried to impose their views on everyone, but now that i've been vegan for 6 months and socialize with all non-vegan friends from before i was vegan, i have changed my view on this.

telling others about veganism shouldn't be considered pushy, shaming them, bad, or any other negative thing. if you found out about something that has been tied to cancer growth and many other human-killing diseases, and knew a way for people to prevent themselves from this, to me it would be more shameful not to tell them. if you found out that animals are being brutalized and slaughtered for something that we DO NOT NEED and IS BAD FOR US why wouldn't you tell people.

what i've realized is that many people simply aren't informed about veganism, the benefits, and the reasons for doing it. they don't know the truth, and when told they turn a blind eye and don't listen. now, i'm not saying everyone has to be vegan, but i'm sure that many more people would be open to drastically reducing their meat&dairy consumption if they were more educated, and HAD RESOURCES AND SUPPORT for how to eat on this new diet. there is a large misconception that vegans can't eat anything except salad and fruit and that is simply not true. i'm eating the best meals of my life and not harming animals in the process.

i bring my friends to vegan restaurants to show them that vegan food IS great and there are so many foods out there that many people don't have the opportunity of experiencing. i bake and cook vegan things and always share so people can see that you don't have to feel deprived when you live this lifestyle. i also make a point of ordering normal things and not just salad when dining out with friends - i'll have pasta, stir fry (with tofu of course), pizza (ask them to hold the cheese, try it with olives on top - so delicious!), and all normal things! the best way to lead others is by example, so be the example of a vegan that breaks the stereotypes!

another thing i've encountered is the urge to defend my reasons. at first i felt upset with myself whenever i would get sort of defensive or almost agressive with my argument but then i realized why i and other vegans do this and it gets a bad reputation. vegans aren't the only people who talk about food, in fact, we probably talk about it less than others. food is a HUGE part of our society. if i tell people that i'm having brownies or a burrito or something, they'll say "THATS NOT VEGAN" but then if i say i'm having vegan brownies they get mad that i call everything vegan. it's a battle we can't win. i also realized that the urge to get defensive is because people really do attack us when we tell them our reasons. if someone is pestering and/or bickering with me about my reasons for being vegan, i used to try and defend them but then i realized that unless someone wants to help themselves or see the truth, you can't make them. now, i try to stay vague with my answer to the question "why are you vegan" and if someone keeps asking for specifics, i'll get more into details. the more the pester, the more they're asking for the hard details, so if i come off as preaching, they asked.

the best response to why are you vegan in a situation where you don't want to be preachy is simply "for personal reasons", "for a number of things" or "it's just a decision i made"

you also have to be sensitive to who you're telling and when you're telling them. if your friend is having a bacon cheeseburger while you're eating a salad talking about why being vegan is awesome, you might see why they're pissed. no one wants to be told that the meal they're eating is bad in any way, so if you do want to seriously talk to people about it, try it when you've prepared a fresh batch of vegan brownies and they're chowing down with some vegan ice cream!

also - sometimes people need to hear it from a third party. if your friends are really curious and you don't want to argue with them, tell them to watch forks over knives, earthlings, food matters, fat sick and nearly dead, or any other veggie-promoting documentary. things like that are what made me switch - not someone posting pictures of broccoli on facebook

feel free to add me or message me anytime! good luck

i am very lucky to have never had some preachy people in my life when i started being a vegan from meat eaters, but i didnt even know a vegan then. now that i know plenty of vegans and vegetarians, the only time they are both preachy is just kidding around with each other. ive only been told to eat meat it taste good, but then the next comment is usually but i know thats not your ethics or preference though. my 4 year old is vegan and thats what im going to tell him to do is say hes allergic to dairy and such, that way he doesnt have to explain everything. also we only eat natural/organic food so thats another one i have to deal with. good luck, but i agree, say you are allergic. theres dairy, gluten, nuts, etc., i know people that are vegetarian and vegan not by choice, but because they are allergic to so much and eating animals of any kind make them sick.

If people ask me I will explain to them why I made this personal choice. Because I am in the health care field I have learned to put a large emphasis on the fact that it is my personal choice, but if they would like any information further I would be happy to help. I have many omnivore clients who get very excited when they see something in the paper about veganism and bring it in, or a recipe for me to try even!
However, at my other job I do work with a very preachy vegan. She will sit in the break room and make comments to people about their food and why it is bad for them, all of this without them even bringing any of it up to her first. I found it incredibly ironic when she told me just a few weeks ago how every morning she eats two eggs with a little bit of cheese on them "just to get the protein in"!

I have really enjoyued reading this post and all of the different perspectives. Its not so suprising that Vegans just like all people have a range of views and approaches. What works for me is to be the vegan that I wish everyone was. I make a point to enjoy myself when eating out and if someone has an issue with what I am eating I will be direct and ask then some confronting questions about their food but in a humourous way. No I dont drink milk from cows pigs dogs or humans at least not any more. I eat awesome food and I really enjoy it, when I go out for dinner its usually to celebrate an event or catch up with friends so I like that to be my focus. I really enjoy talking to people about veganism and I will tell them how I enjoy it and how good it feels. Sometimes it gets to the point in a conversation that I know I am wasting my time so I will change the subject but I will always take the opportunity to talk to people about being vegan as I remember that was what I did when looking to make the change and I would really love to help animals by sharing veganism in a positive way.

I have been really well supported by those closest to me although none of them are vegan they will all make an effort to make and share food that I too will enjoy eating. I know that when I first became vegan it was difficult to know what to eat and no I wasnt always eating vegan food even though I thought I was so its OK for others who are less aware to make mistakes too.

But then perhaps I am not even vegan at all because I do sometimes eat honey :happy:

i'm getting tired of people automatically being defensive when they hear that i'm vegan, and that humans aren't made to eat meat, dairy, etc. and that's not what this is about for me. i want to cause as little suffering as possible. if they can eat meats and cheeses and be okay with it, then that's on them. i'm not here to convert anybody.

In NY--it's just not a big deal. :laugh: There are a zillion vegan restaurants with waiting lines to get in.
I should know--I went to brunch this past Sunday with a group of friends and it was a 2 hour wait for a hybrid restaurant with vegan options to get in. I had the fakin bacon with avocado sandwich!

On Thanksgiving at a vegan Chinese restaurant packed--completely filled up.
Even Burger King and MacD's (not saying I would trust this) even they have vegan options--veggie burgers.
It is not the stigma it was--a few years ago.